Dahlia'
by Diomede
Summary: //FINISHED//Dahlia is the NW's most successful rockband led by the talented vampire singer, Callysta Abilene who is the ultimate target for a NW spy until she's spelled to 4get who she iS...
1. Default Chapter

Chapter One __

A/N. The concept of the Night World belongs to the one & only L.J. Smith as do some of the characters you might recognize. The ones you don't know should be mine. Ummm…this is the first chap so please r/r even if it's only to flame it. And I really do mean that ( I think….) J 

And also, admittedly this chapter is a bit lacking in the old action department so feel free to skim it just to get the gist of the characters but please read the other chaps.!! I promise they are a lot better. I mite have gone a bit overboard in the whole describe and detail department…oops.

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Chapter One

Callysta Abilene walked into band practice no later than fifteen minutes, which was for her, as close to being on time as you could get. Being late was something she had turned into art after eighteen years of practice. Even at age nine, she had consistently been the last guest to arrive at any given birthday party. Some bad habits couldn't be changed, not that she really wanted to change it in the first place.

Her cousin, Phlox Abilene a member of the same lamia family as her own, was predictably sitting behind his treasured drum kit, going through his routine warm up. He stopped when she entered the room, filling it with her commanding presence. His eyes followed her motions as she breezed in, letting one elegant finger trail wistfully across a poster of Trent Reznor before dropping it again to throw her jacket and car keys onto one of the two couches that lined the room.

Even after releasing their latest album, which had been a success in anyone's standards, they persisted in practicing in Phlox's built in home studio. It was where they had started and it was where they were determined to stay until they had to start recording again.

The room was one of many in Phlox's mansion and was settled over the garage and away from the main part of the house. When not even distance had stopped their music from reaching Phlox's parents ears, they had had it sound proofed. 

Posters of their favorite bands lined the walls. Deep Purple and Black Sabbath stood side by side with the newer generation of successful bands like the late Nirvana, Foo Fighters and Nine Inch Nails. In the far corner, a poster of their own band was framed with their signatures scrawled along the edges in thick, black marker.

Below the black swirling script of a single word, 'Dahlia', Callysta stood in the middle of the poster, her violent eyes with a dash of blue staring out unseeingly with a small, mysterious smile curving her lips. She couldn't remember how many posters of her she had signed for fans on the last tour but it was a lot. 

Phlox stood at her side, arms folded, the perfect image of male machonism. To her other side, their lead guitarist, Benton glared into the camera and beside him, their final member Reck, allowed himself a small smile into the lens.

Callysta felt her eyes narrowing as they rested on Reck's smirking face. It was as if even on a flat piece of cardboard, he still mocked them and everything they had stood for.

The memory of hearing his voice telling them he was leaving the band, leaving them and leaving the Night World ran through her head. Some witch had obviously spelled the deluded idiot as he was blabbering about his soulmate (What was her name again?) and Circle Daybreak. Circle Daybreak? Their opinion of the little group of tree huggers with their 'make the world a better place' motto was the one and only thing they had unanimously agreed on. 

Circle Daybreak and it's agents were a complete waste of perfectly good oxygen. They were pathetically stubborn in the belief that they could overthrow the Night World. It was ludicrous. The Night World had been around since the dawn of time and the super troopers had only re-established themselves a few years ago. 

Callysta sighed and let her eyes wander to the small stage where their instruments were set up and where the amps had already been readied for their practice. The absence of their bass guitarist was annoyingly obvious and that alone caused the scowl that lighted her otherwise calm face.

Phlox was spinning his drumsticks with practiced ease and an expression of impatience and boredom mixed together. Benton was checking the sound levels on his guitar with a furrowed eyebrow of concentration.

"What's the point in having a practice when we have no bass guitarist?" Callystar asked irritably as she stepped up to the microphone, switching it on and adjusting it automatically. 

"There's no point going slack just because of a minor set back," Phlox answered. His voice was flat and unemotional which pretty much described his entire personality. His blue eyes followed his drumstick as he tossed it in the air and caught it again.

"You call this a 'minor set back'?" Benton asked, lifting his head from his guitar to turn to look at Phlox with raised eyebrows. "I was thinking along the lines of a major pain in the ass."

Callysta looked away from Benton with a frown. "When are we holding auditions again?" she asked, feeling vaguely guilty at not remembering after being told at least nine times already.

Phlox rolled his eyes. "Later this afternoon," he replied with a sigh. "It's twelve o'clock now, not that you'd know since you refuse to wear a watch," he continued with a glare in her direction. "We've got everyone coming around at one thirty to audition to 'Your Style' so we have to practice that to get it tight."

'Your Style' was one of their first songs and it had had a pretty good run on the charts. It started slowly, with an eerie guitar introduction that the bass joined in with a few bars on. After the first verse, Phlox came in on the drums and gave it a louder and heavier feel.

Callysta scowled. She hated that song. After singing it so many times that she'd lost count, the words had rapidly got boring and she realized that she hated the lyrics with a passion. Thank god she hadn't written them. The credit for those had gone to Phlox's sister and her best friend, Jasmine.

"Urgh," she muttered under her breath. She took a hold of the mic with one hand and tossed her auburn hair back over her shoulder sharply. Benton had stopped fiddling with his guitar at her customary signal to start and was alert and ready, his eyes waiting for Phlox's signal expectantly.

Phlox tapped his drumsticks quietly against one another, his head moving in time with his movements. One. Two. Three.

Benton's head was down again in a single fluid motion and his fingers ran up and down the frets of his guitar with practiced ease and grace as he plucked out the haunting melody of the song. Callysta closed her eyes and let the music flow through her as if she could breathe it in with one long inhale. 

Slowly and languidly, her eyes opened to stare out to an invisible crowd as her voice, low, soft yet clear, rang out. 

__

Hey boy, take a look around.

Just look at what you've picked up

Is it really what you wish you'd found?

She's a regular Barbie doll

Oh, she's a real treasured prize.

But boy, she ain't real

Just open your eyes.

Her voice faded into nothing as Phlox came into action behind her. With a light breath, she opened her eyes again and continued.

__

There's a mirror reflecting her

An image you call 'perfection'.

But is she staring deep into your eyes

Or does she need direction?

She'll try to make you smile

She'll try to take your pain away.

But boy, she ain't your style

So just tell her not to stay.

Callysta struggled through the rest of the song. It wasn't because she couldn't sing it well; she just had no emotional feeling behind it. It reminded her of all the typical, teen dance music where plastic faced girls crooned and whined about their lost loves. The genre was not her style. She liked their other songs that had a more Night World flavor to them. Those she could pelt out again and again and still relish every line.

Phlox stopped and Benton played the final bars before he adjusted the volume on his guitar to let the note die and fade slowly. He looked up at the lead singer who was waiting impatiently for a silence she could break.

"That sounded like crap," she stated bluntly. "Utter crap. Crap that dogs wouldn't even sniff at. And it'll be too easy for them to audition to. It's not challenging from any angle and if I have to sing it more than three times I'm going to kill someone."

Phlox's blue eyes lasered into her with unfaltering precision. "Why don't you cut _your_ crap, Lyss?" He snapped. "We're doing it okay?" The guy was pretty protective about all of their songs and anyone that dared to knock them back was guaranteed to get severely knocked down. His cousin met his gaze before breaking it with a sneer that showed her annoyance more than a temper tantrum could have.

Benton was as usual remaining silent throughout yet another installment of the continuing Abilene family competitive verbal onslaught. He was always known to be perched on the fence, though Callysta could remember one time when he had yelled at her for criticizing his guitar technique. She supposed everyone had his or her pet peeve. Personally, she hated anyone with a passion if they said one bad thing about her timing, her dynamics or any other aspect of her singing. But that didn't tend to happen very often.

She gave a defeated sigh and grasped the mic again with one hand. Sending mental death wishes at the image of Reck, she made a note to destroy that poster at first chance. 

Phlox scowled to himself. "Alright! We'll do a run through of 'Fear & Calculation' before they start coming. Happy?"

Callysta would have been far more grateful at her cousin's offer if he hadn't said it in such an aggravating tone. He spat the words out as if he was trying to pacify a screaming two year old. "Ecstatically happy," she returned frostily.

They went through the same procedure as they had for 'Your Style' before Callysta launched into the first verse. This time far more enthusiastically.

__

Let the darkness that resides in you

Unleash into the day.

It's twisting shadows of the past

Reveal memories left to lay.

Fall back into the darkness

And let the spell unfold.

Let your past float to the surface

Where your secrets can be told.

The world was made for hunting,

Filled with deathly fascination.

It's not the light you thought you knew…

It's just fear and calculation.

Your days are made of spiraling suns,

The dark will always override.

A rush of midnight starry skies.

The ever present tide.

Just drink it in and relish the taste,

The world offered with open hands.

Just live within the night

Because the night makes no demands.

The world was made for hunting,

Filled with deathly fascination.

Deathly fascination.

And eternal satisfaction.

And always…fear & calculation.

Callysta's voice got softer and softer in the last chorus. It was breathy and haunting and had been once described as the music of the Sirens. She had liked the description so she had refrained from killing the human boy that had given it. It had been hard though; she had been really hungry that night.

Her two bandmates slowed and came to a halt. As the final notes echoed around the room, Callysta could hear another kind of steady beat. It was the beat of feet running up stairs and got louder and louder as it neared their small studio.

She glanced back at Benton and Phlox. They had all heard it. Phlox glanced at the door, his eyes patient and waiting. "Looks like they've arrived," Benton stated the obvious.

Callysta glared at him before turning her evil eyes to the door where she hoped to scare the hell out of whoever had the misfortune to walk in first. Phlox looked at his cousin, knowing full well what she was doing, as he was fully aware of her intimidation techniques. No doubt, today's auditions wouldn't be of an exceptional high standard. How could anyone play well after looking at those deathly eyes that held both warning and contempt in their depths?

Phlox was used to Callysta's mood swings that could change at an alarmingly speed and with such a velocity it scared people. He had grown up with her after all. Thankfully as he was two years older, he hadn't had to spend that much time with her. That burden fell onto his sister, Jasmine, who funnily enough hadn't found it such a burden.

Callysta and Jasmine had been best friends since their births and their friendship had lasted their adolescents. Jasmine was the one person that Phlox knew Callysta would always stand by and fight for. The two of them were close to inseparable and tended to attract trouble whenever they were together.

Phlox had been called down to the pick them up from police stations and to get rid of the many unwanted males that desired their attention. He'd done this almost the same amount of times he had been called to take them home after drunken nights out. Either of these happened more times than he could remember or that he would ever admit to either of their parents.

Callysta's parents were on the Night World council and were quite formidable now that the Redfern's had practically become an extinct species. They worked long and hard and had raised their only daughter to be as dangerously ruthless as they were. 

Phlox and Jasmine's father was also on the Council and their mother was a successful psychiatrist who enjoyed giving her human patients massive complexes that kept them coming back to fill her bank account up. 

Both families had more money than they knew what to do with but Jasmine and Lysta made a pretty impressive attempt at sending their parents bankrupt. They could spend a whole day in a shopping mall and come out with so many bags that employees from at least five different stores had to help them carry them.

Phlox' thoughts stopped as he blinked to attention. Lysta had made a tiny clicking sound with her tongue at the exact same time that the door opened to reveal a curly red headed guy who looked all of thirteen. He held a beat up bass guitar with one hand and as it knocked against the wall as he walked in, Benton visibly winced.

The guy grinned sheepishly, revealing braces and a massive piece of lettuce wedged between two teeth before moving aside to allow at least twenty other guys cram into the room. None looked too promising.

Callysta turned to glare angrily at her cousin and for once, Phlox couldn't blame her. Benton glanced at both of them with a face that a tortured guy would wear.

Yep, Phlox thought. It was going to be a long afternoon.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After seeing so many auditions that they had lost count, the three vampires were exhausted. They sat in differing positions on the two couches of the small studio and stared at each other with similar expressions of disbelief and distaste echoing their unnaturally attractive features. Callysta had tied her hair up into a high ponytail out of her face and was having trouble coping with the idea that out of over fifty people, only a maximum of eight could carry themselves with a marginal amount on skill.

Benton, who loved music with a fervent passion, was in even deeper shock. He had been watching the way those guys had handled their instruments and it had made him sick. They had knocked their guitars against walls, some weren't tuned and nearly none of them had a guitar case. 

Phlox on the other hand was trying extremely hard to be optimistic. So, auditions hadn't gone as well as he had hoped they would. The people that had come were next to useless and he knew it hadn't helped that Callysta had been staring each and every one of them out with an evil regard that only the devil himself could have bettered. The last guy had started sweating when he had met her eyes, that was before he mumbled an excuse and had left the room altogether.

"Listen," he began slowly, thinking as he spoke, "I know a guy who knows a guy whose brother is meant to be an awesome bass guitarist. Only this guy doesn't want to get into a band because he's busy concentrating on his other stuff," he shrugged, not understanding what could be more important than music. "I reckon I could have a talk with this guy's friends brother and try to get him to come 'round."

Benton was silent, having decided that he was going to leave everything in Phlox's capable hands. Callysta however, still had plenty to say and no qualms at all about saying it.

"Really? Well, I'm sure I know someone who knows this girls cousin whose brother in law's sister is married to the step-brother of the bass guitarist from Red Hot Chilli Peppars girlfriend. Maybe I could get hold of him to make an appearance?" she snapped sarcastically.

Phlox waited patiently throughout this tirade with arms folded and a bored expression on his face. "Finished?" he drawled.

"No, I'm not actually," Callysta snapped. "In fact, I'm pissed off. More than pissed off even. I'd like to slam someone's head through a wall. If it wasn't for Reck and those damned Daybreakers we wouldn't need to go through all this shit! We could be rehearsing properly instead of searching for mediocre bass players."

Benton tended to agree with Callysta on that count and he allowed himself a small nod. Phlox's eyes caught the gesture but he didn't comment on it because they all knew that Callysta was right. Reck had pretty much given them a mighty shove up shit creek after forgetting to give them the paddle. Phlox was still confused over the whole thing, and yeah he was angry in his own way. Just not angry in Callysta's 'yell, scream and smash any unlucky guy's head in' way.

"It was a bastard thing for Reck do, I agree," Phlox replied in tones that contrasted sharply with Callysta's with their calmness. "But build a bridge and get over it, Lyss."

His cousin stared at him in disbelief, fully believing that Phlox wasn't taking the whole matter in a serious enough light. They had been double crossed! Even, dare she say it, betrayed? And Callysta Abilene was not a girl who let insults go without due punishment. In a final gesture of defiance, she stood and stalked to the wall the poster of their band had been hung on. She yanked it down with one hard tug and held it at an angle against the floor and then let her foot come crashing down the middle, splitting it in half. 

When she looked down, even she was surprised to see that the split ran right down the middle of Reck's smirking face. Phlox held a frown of disbelief on his usual impassively held features and Benton, quietly passionate and easily swayed Benton, was staring with an open mouth.

She pretended that she had known that was going to happen, that she had done it on purpose but she couldn't be sure if Phlox was buying the casual shrug and small smile that she gave him. You could never be sure with Phlox because he had an uncanny habit of knowing when you were hiding something and could even go as far as to guess what it was.

With a stunning smile that could dazzle anyone, she pulled on her dark jacket and scarf then picked up her keys. Her violent eyes betrayed the witch blood that had entered her line centuries ago as they sparkled with coldness. "I'll see you guys tomorrow," she directed at them coolly before letting the door slam behind her.

Benton frowned at his friend. "Something's eating at her," he stated.

Phlox didn't look at the guitarist. He walked to the window that gave a view of the street and pulled the curtain back to look at Callysta as she stalked angrily to the car. He studied her lithe and graceful movements as she moved at an easy speed. Dressed in a tailored jacket and silk scarf with fitting jeans and a black hi necked jersey, she looked gorgeous in anyone's standards. But compared to what she wore for concerts and going out, that outfit was a potato sack.

"She's a vampire, Benton." He finally replied. "_She's_ meant to do the eating."

He watched as she tossed hair of a deep red colour over her shoulder and got into her jaguar in a single motion. Phlox sighed to himself. Benton was right, something was wrong with her and he couldn't put his finger on it.

He wondered whether to be worried then finally decided against it. Callysta was tough and she could look after herself. And he could always talk to Jasmine about it if he got really worried.

"Do you want to work on the guitar riff for that new song you're writing?" Benton asked hopefully. 

"What? Oh, yeah," Phlox answered, remembering. He smiled forcefully and nodded. "Yeah, sure."


	2. Chapter Two

chap2redone ****

Chapter Two

Later on that night, Jasmine Abilene found herself waiting for her cousin to arrive for a night out. She was standing alone on the corner of a street, arms wrapped around herself tightly while a single heeled leather boot tapped on the pavement impatiently.

Callysta was late yet again. Surprise surprise. Jasmine looked at her watch and raised her eyebrows. It was only 10:15pm and they were supposed to meet at ten o'clock. Fifteen minutes was quite good really.

She was staring down the street when her senses detected someone sidling towards her. She turned slowly, casting a long and frosty glance at the man that stood by her. He was middle aged and wore a large coat and scarf that failed to disguise his disgusting beer gut. 

He smiled a little; slightly uncertain but perverse enough to keep hoping she was a hooker for hire. Jasmine did not return the smile.

"So…do you spit or swallow?" He asked with a wink and a lurid grin. Jasmine was shocked. Sure she was wearing leather knee high boots and a short skirt but you couldn't see the skirt because of her coat. She'd gone light on the make up and her hair wasn't bleached and permed. Then she stopped in mid thought as a single word entered her mind. 

Dinner.

She smiled slightly then, a smile that didn't quite change the cold expression in her eyes but it was enough encouragement for the man who was looking pretty excited. She crooked a finger at him and began walking round a corner and into an alley. She knew he was following eagerly behind her and she was disgusted. 

__

Vermin, she thought with distaste, _they have no sense of honour_.

She spun on her heel to face the man who was unbuttoning his coat, his fingers fumbling because of the cold. She managed to not throw up at the sight of his balding face with that repulsive sweaty sheen to it. 

"Well?" He asked with a smile, still working at his buttons with grim determination.

"Well what?" she returned in irritation, trying to hide her impatience.

The man stared at this girl with her blonde hair and pretty blue eyes. She was like a Barbie. No she was better than a Barbie because this girl was real. Real and ready to work. He couldn't hide his excitement.

"Do you spit or swallow?" the man asked patiently, smiling triumphantly as he managed to undo the final button on his coat. He took a step towards her and then another. Her eyes narrowed, she didn't like his confidence at all.

"Neither," she said softly with a gleam in her eye. "I bite."

Before he could fathom what she meant by that, she had swiftly moved forward to hold him from the neck and push him back into the opposite wall. He felt the coldness of the stones seep through his clothing and he shivered. 

Then, the girl was pushing his chin up roughly and yanking it to the side. She moved her head forward in a blink and he felt a stabbing pain on his neck. It was the last thing he felt.

Jasmine stepped back and let the body fall to a heap on the ground. By pure accident, it fell right into a muddy puddle. She paused to consider the figure then shrugged, wiping her mouth with her scarf and retracting her canines.

When she rounded the corner again, she saw Callysta's proud profile turned up to look at an overhead plane. Her cousin sensed her presence immediately and turned to regard Jasmine impassively through those startling eyes. Then she smiled.

"Dinner Jasmine?" she inquired with a raised brow.

Jasmine shrugged elegant shoulders and tightened her scarf around her neck, pulling it tight with a quick snap that indicated what she had done to her victim. Then she buttoned her coat and laughed. 

Callysta shook her head with a smile. "Come on," she called over her shoulder as she began walking down the footpath. "Trissa Weryn is having a party and we're on the guest list."

"Of course," Jasmine remarked as she followed Callysta's slim figure. She wrinkled a dainty nose as dirty water splashed onto her shoe. Her expensively gorgeous _Gucci _shoe. She was tempted to stop and wipe it clean but she glanced up and saw Callysta would probably keep going with out her and she needed to be with her cousin to get into Trissa's party.

Trissa and Jasmine did not getting along that well. In fact, they didn't get along at all and it was only due to Callysta that they even saw each other. Trissa and Callysta got along pretty well and since Jasmine was Callysta's best friend, there wasn't much the other girl could do.

Callysta had slowed down minutely, waiting for Jasmine to catch up. The blond girl quickened her pace until she drew in line with her friend. "Have we got far?" she asked.

Callysta pulled off her leather gloves and shook her head; sending mahogany locks in mid air. "No, her place is just down there," she said, nodding in the general direction of 'down the street'. Jasmine was relieved that she wouldn't have to keep up with her cousin's usual vigorous pace.

"Come on," Callysta called over her shoulder. "There looks like there's heaps of people here already!" She went through the huge, wrought iron gate that had been left open and wove her way through new, shiny cars that lined the massive driveway. Garden lamps shone onto the polished chrome of the cars and sent off twisted reflections into the night. 

Callysta bounded up the steps to the door and pressed the doorbell. The camera that was lodged in the corner blinked furiously for a moment before the door swung open and a dark, olive skinned girl with reddish hair revealed herself. 

She was smiling broadly with a drink in one hand and the other thrown in the air in delight. "Lyss!" she cried. "I'm so glad you made it! The place is going off."

Callysta laughed. "Yeah, you can tell." She stepped inside and shrugged her coat off. Trissa Weryn caught sight of Jasmine's petite form behind her friend. Their eyes met and clashed. Trissa glared at the blond girl. Jasmine wriggled her fingers by her face in a mock wave with a fake plastic smile to match. Nissa bared her teeth. Jasmine responded with a raised unimpressed eyebrow.

"Who's here?" Callysta asked Trissa after placing her coat along with heaps of others on the coat hooks. "Anyone interesting?"

Trissa tore her eyes away from Jasmine's unsmiling face and her eyes cleared as they settled on Callysta. Something about Callysta Abilene got to nearly everyone that met her. They either loved her or they hated her and there was no in between.

She made life long friends that were loyal to the end or deadly enemies that loathed her with a passion. She had found a friend in Trissa. They had made years ago when Callysta and her had been thrown together at a nightclub. They had been in the alley feeding off some human or other when the police had approached them. This had resulted in a frantic run across rooftops and up and down fire escapes and lots of fun on their behalf. 

Trissa knew that Callysta could be trusted to help her with anything so she respected her and liked her freely. But there was something about her cousin, Jasmine Abilene that got to her. 

She realized Callysta was waiting expectantly for a reply. "Lyss, everyone interesting is here," she laughed. She threw an arm out and gestured down the hall. "Just have a walk around and you'll find out."

Callysta laughed. "I don't know how you managed it in only two days," she said. "I only found out about it a few hours ago."

Trissa shrugged. "Well, only the best people had time to hear it about so we won't get any gatecrashers. And what can I say? I happen to be a pro at this kind of thing."

"After ruining at least five couches and the carpet in nearly every room I should hope so," Callysta returned wryly. "Where are the drinks?"

"Just through there. You'll find them easy enough. Just follow the trail of drunken idiots."

"Ta, Triss," Callysta said. "Are you coming in with us?"

"Nah," Trissa replied, meeting Jasmine's eyes once again over Callysta's shoulder. "I'll see you later on. Have fun."

Callysta shrugged and walked down the hall. As she opened the door to the main room, the music alone caused her to step back. It was loud and raucous and she was surprised anyone could hear themselves think. Then, it didn't look as if many of the people in here were capable of thinking. Already, nearly all of them had approached a stage known as 'drunken stupor'. 

"Whoa," Jasmine breathed as she stepped in behind Callysta. "Have these people even _had _the 'drinking sensibly' talk?"

"I could say the same thing to you. I happen to recall last weekend vividly but I doubt you would even with a detailed account. And believe me, some thing you don't want to remember."

Jasmine decided that Callysta was probably right there so she didn't pursue the subject. She weaved her way through the swarming mass and went through to another room. She turned to see that Callysta was following reluctantly with a disgusted look on her face.

Jasmine saw that this room seemed to be a lot more civilised. No one was falling on the ground or throwing up and that was a pretty good sign. People lounged on the sofas and some sat on the floor with drinks in their hands and sometimes a cigarette in the other. 

They were all talking together casually and laughter filled the air.

"This is more us," she said to Callysta. "See anyone? Oh hang on! I do. I'll be back in a tick."

She bounded off to the far corner and left Callysta standing there. She didn't really mind. She saw that Helio had stood and was walking towards her. The guy was a witch with personality and she managed to see him at nearly every party she went to. She had no idea what his surname was or where his family was in the Night World and she had never felt the need to ask.

"Lyss!" he exclaimed. "How are ya?" He wrapped muscled arms around her and squeezed tightly. Callysta coughed. A bit too tightly.

"Super," she answered with a tight grin. 

"Here have a drink," he said, pulling out a stollie from somewhere. He opened it with one hand and handed it to her graciously. "How did you manage to get Jasmine in here?" he asked with a grin. "Triss vowed that she would never set foot in this house again but then I doubt she would have said anything with you readying yourself for a fight."

Callysta scowled. "I was not 'readying myself for a fight'," she contradicted. "I just acted like a living shield. The glares went over my shoulder thank god. Pure laser beams I'm serious. What's the deal with them two?"

Helio shrugged lanky shoulders. "Dunno. They never really liked each other did they? Though, you've got admire their persistance. They've hated each other for three years now. That's got to use up a lot of energy. Speaking of which, how much energy are you burning in hating Reck?"

Callysta scowled fiercely. "Come on Helio! The guy left us in the lurch with concerts and gigs written all over the calendar! _And _he went running to Daybreak for gods' sake!"

"You never would have thought it'd happen to Reck would you?" Helio mused.

"Well, I didn't. We used to kill the idiots before he left," Callysta's voice was annoyed.

"After Blaise went with Daybreak, I realized anyone could," Helio said, nodding sadly.

"Blaise?" Callysta repeated. "As in Blaise _Harman? _"

"Do you know her?" Helio's eyes were as excited as his voice as they turned to her. Funny, she thought. Helio didn't strike her like the stalker type but then you never knew.

"Kind of," Callysta replied hesitantly as her mind flashed back to a time that had existed years ago. She been at one of her parent's stupid parties filled with power hungry Night Worlders when she had seen Blaise. The older girl was looking beautiful in a tight fitting green, silk slip dress that seemed to float and shimmer with every graceful movement she had made. Her black hair had been pinned up elaborately and her make up was perfect.

All this she had noticed at the same time she saw the expression on the girl's face. One would have thought that one would be touched, honoured or even amused that at least seven gorgeous males surrounded her. But not Blaise. The witch stood with ill-concealed impatience and the most bored expression possible on her face.

Callysta had left that room then to do something else and when she came back, she saw Blaise in the same place but this time she stood alone. But something was different. The witch had had a strange look in her eyes. They were bright and sparkling and Callysta remembered being suspicious and rightly so. She had caught a glimpse of orange fire in Blaise's other hand that was held behind her back.

It was then she saw that the men that had surrounded the girl were now close to naked and were fawning all over the older Night Worlders that were at the party, namely her parent's friends that included some of the council members and associates. 

Callysta had marched over and grabbed Blaise's arm, twisted it and pushed her fingers shut so that the orange fire was distinguished.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Blaise had hissed angrily. "Let go bitch!"

"The question is 'what were _you _doing?" Callysta returned in equal tones. "Those guys could be dead tomorrow because of you. You know what the elders do when they get pissed off."

"Do you want to know what _I _do when I'm pissed off?" Blaise demanded. Suddenly an orange glow surrounded her and Callysta withdrew her hand sharply. It had been burnt. "Now you can piss off thank you dahling."

Callysta had shaken her head. "No such luck witch," she had hissed. "You're in my domain now sweetheart and you're just about to get escorted out." She smiled coldly. "And aren't you lucky? Guess who your escort is."

Blaise was not at all amused. Her face was drawn tightly and her eyes were cool and dangerous. She didn't balk as Callysta grabbed her arm roughly, most likely bruising it, and pushing her towards the hallway that led to the door. Callysta remembered feeling surprised at her acquiesce 

"Callysta! What do you think you're doing?" Her father had demanded at the entranceway to the hall. "Blaise are you alright? She hasn't hurt you has she?"

"No, Mr Abilene," Blaise purred sweetly. "I'm okay I think. Just a bruise, it's quite small really." She twisted the arm that Callysta had released in surprise and twisted it to show Callysta's father. There was a bruise that was much larger than Callysta could ever have caused. "See? It's tiny really."

Callysta's father did not agree. "Blaise darling, go into the kitchen and I'll get Ramona to sort you out. Callysta," his voice turned grave. "Stay here."

Blaise nodded coyly and moved past Callysta's father. Her eyes turned to narrow at Callysta and she smiled a small, smug and gratified smile that made Callysta's blood burn.

Her father had yelled at her and accused her of trying to sabotage his plans for securing a council seat. She had been informed in a voice far from the controlled one she was familiar with, that Blaise was also Blaise _Harman,_ one of the last Harmans left and a girl with powerful connections and whose family were strong and prominent in the Night World council.

Callysta had left after that and hadn't seen Blaise since but the mention of her name was enough to make her sick and disgusted at the memory.

She blinked back into reality to see Helio's eyes waiting patiently for a response. "Yeah, I met her once," she revealed reluctantly. "It was a while ago."

"Isn't she gorgeous?" Helio said dreamily, looking up at some point in the air above them. "She's just-" he threw his hands up in the air with frustration, "Indescribable."

Callysta took a large gulp of her drink quickly followed with another. "Mmm hmm," she murmured unbelievingly. 

"She was like a walking model of perfection," Helio continued in a love sick voice. 

"She's a walking example of a bitch," someone butted in behind them. A hand reached forward to clamp onto Helio's shoulder, nearly knocking him forward. "And I'm not talking about dogs because that was one thing I have to admit she was _not._" 

The speaker was a tall, dark haired guy who could have been eligible for model of the year in nearly any country. He was taller than herself and was lean but muscular. The hand on Helio's shoulder slapped the other guy's back. A bit too rigorously by the look on Helio's face.

The golden eyes were unsettling as they stared unwaveringly at her own. His perfectly sculpted face was expressionless save for the sarcastic twist of his mouth. Callysta refused to look away first and soon the silence that generated between them got unbearably uncomfortable for Helio, who had been standing a little uncertainly at their silent war.

He coughed. "Uh, Brooks, this is Callysta Abilene."

Brooks looked at her for one last moment before turning back to Helio. "Macy's out front. She's not feeling too good so I'm giving her a lift home. Are you alright for a ride?" Brooks voice was clear and filled with an air of authority and command that Callysta guessed he had been born with. The expression on his face however when he spoke to Helio about Macy gave her the impression he wasn't dropping her home because she was 'sick'.

Helio drew the same conclusion because he nodded hurriedly. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Thank little bro," Brooks grinned suddenly. He slapped Helio's back again.

"You're brothers?" Callysta asked in disbelief. They looked nothing alike. They wouldn't have even passed as relations of any kind.

"Half," Helio amended. "Mum was a -"

"Mum was a slut." Brooks voice was suddenly cold and his golden eyes remote. "Literally. But on a sidenote," he smiled again though it didn't reach his eyes. "Hope you have a good night." He addressed this to Helio and once again studiously ignored her. She glared fiercely at his retreating figure.

Helio coughed. "So how are you?" he asked in an obvious attempt at changing the conversation.

Callysta stared at him. "That _thing _is _your _brother?"

Helio looked away. "Yeah. I only met him a year ago. He used to live in England for a while then he came over here to work for the council. He's okay once you get to know him," he added, as if trying to reassure himself just as much as her.

"He's working for the council? What does he do?" She was surprised she hadn't heard of him. Usually, she heard things through her parents and it was unusual that word hadn't gotten to her. If he had been sent from England then he must be pretty damn good.

"He does a bit of private work," Helio mumbled.

His reluctance to speak about the matter explained itself. She figured that he was either a spy or an assassin and Helio wasn't willing to reveal too much even though it didn't seem as though they were particularly close.

She wasn't really wanting to talk to Helio for much longer so when Jasmine bound up to her, gold locks bouncing and eyes sparkling, with a guy attached to each arm, she was relieved. Upon closer inspection it became obvious that the two guys were human.

"Lyss, this is Peter and Alex," Jasmine introduced the two. "We thought you might like to come for a walk outside with us." She winked at Callysta.

Callysta's eyes sparkled and the smile that she directed at the two guys was beautiful yet deadly. They didn't appear to notice, as they were too enraptured with her perfectly sculpted face. Callysta nodded.

"Bye Helio," she said with a backward glance. Helio looked uncomfortable and was eyeing her in a way that made her squirm. It was as if he was judging her for something. She ignored the annoyance and anger that cursed through her.

Someone like Helio had no right at all to ever _ever _judge someone like her. Because she was an Abilene, her parents were on the council and her family could be traced back to the beginning of time. They deserved respect.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three ****

Chapter Three

Both Callysta and Jasmine woke late in the morning. They were still wearing their rumpled clothes from last night. Callysta woke first. She had band rehearsals in half an hour and then a gig that night at the Black Iris.

She assumed they were going to cancel since they had no bass player, which was an obvious setback. If she were honest, she would admit that she was slightly relieved. She was feeling slightly off balance.

She gave Jasmine limp body a shove. "Wake up," she said, prodding the blanket covered form with every syllable. "I've got rehearsal in half an hour and I want to get a quick work out in before I leave."

Jasmine mumbled and rolled over. "Wake me again once you've had a shower," she grunted.

Grabbing a towel and quickly changing into some clothes that didn't restrict her movement quite as much, Callysta left the room and jogged up the stairs of her expensive apartment to the home gym. The equipment waited and gleamed.

She ignored it and went straight to the punching bag. Punch after punch and kick after kick she drove on relentlessly. Her only focus was the red bag in front of her and the precision and strength of the blows that she dealt it.

Time had slipped by unknowingly and it wasn't until Jasmine entered the room, hair tousled from sleep and yawning, that she stopped.

"You said something about rehearsal?" Jasmine reminded her.

Callysta swore, wiped the sweat off her brow with the towel and jogged downstairs again to shower and change.

Jasmine handed her a steaming mug of coffee as she exited the bathroom that she took gratefully and began to drink. 

"Come on, we'd better head off."

Jasmine grabbed her bag. "Who was that guy you were talking to last night?" she asked. "You know, that witch boy. He was quite cute."

"Helio something," Callysta answered while setting her alarm and pulling a maroon leather jacket on. 

"Who was the guy that was with you and Helio then? The tall one built like a roman god? Ring any bells?" Jasmine's voice had now bordered over curiosity into full-blown interest.

"Brooks I think," Callysta scowled at the memory. "Asshole supreme."

"Just how I like them," Jasmine grinned maliciously. "Vamp or witch?"

Callysta frowned. "I actually don't know. I thought he was a vamp at first but then he's meant to be Helio's brother and he's a witch."

"It'd be a shame if he was a witch," Jasmine mused. "You know how I feel about that whole cross breeds thing."

Callysta wrinkled her nose. "Who wouldn't?" she agreed. "My parents would kill me if I tainted our blood lines with anything less than lamia blood. The Harman's," she spat the name, "Were the first and last to ever get that far."

They had now approached Callysta's sleek black Porsche and were getting in. "I saw Blaise Harman a few days ago did I tell you?" Jasmine said while buckling her seat belt. "The bitch is still acting as if she's worth something. Couldn't see Thea though or her ugly soulmate." Jasmine made a face. "Urgh, soulmates."

Callysta laughed. She turned down a street. "Tell me about it. Did you hear about that girl whose soulmate got staked by some wolves and she ended up dying of a," she cleared her voice, "I quote, a 'broken heart'."

Jasmine snorted. "That is truly sick and very, very wrong."

"I know. Going by my luck, I'd probably end up with a dwarf with an I.Q. lower than my dog's."

"Or a human."

"Yeah, a human would be pretty bad," Callysta agreed. "So would a witch or wolf or shifter."

"They're not as bad as humans though," Jasmine contradicted. "But could you imagine having to pro-create with a wolf?"

Callysta nearly choked with laughter. "Don't put thoughts like that in my head, Jaz," she pleaded half seriously. "That would be the ultimate sin."

"Yeah, the only one you haven't committed," Jasmine remarked slyly.

Callysta cast her a glance before pulling in front of the Abilene mansion. As she pulled the keys from the ignition, she noticed a car she couldn't recognize pull up to the curb. It was a dark, foreign looking model that looked new and modern. 

Jasmine's eyes followed her own and they stepped out of Callysta's car at the same time. Callysta slammed the door shut as Jasmine shrugged at her then entered the house. 

The red haired girl was tucking her keys into the back pocket of her pants when the owner of the car got out and approached her. 

The walk was smooth and elegant, with a deadly type of grace that could easily turn lethal at the turn of a hair. He was wearing faded jeans and a leather jacket that was undone to reveal a fitting t-shirt that covered a muscular chest.

It was Helio's brother, Brooks.

He propped his sunglasses on top of his head and looked down at her. "What?" he said. "Are you waiting for Christmas or something?"

Callysta scowled. "More like an explanation."

Brooks' golden eyes looked slightly impatient. "My little brother is your newest sand pit pal. You know," he continued in a bored voice. "The latest member of the flower power band known as 'Dahlia'." He said the name with a mocking edge that annoyed the hell out of her.

"Regular comedian aren't you?" she snapped. She left him and began walking towards the house. He followed.

"Yeah but not right now. My last performance was last night but you were so far gone you missed it."

"I was so far gone so I _would _miss it," Callysta returned in equal tones.

"Yeah, anyway," Brooks' tone was dismissive, as if he was tired of verbal games already. "I need to see Helio now."

"He's not here."

"Yeah, sweetheart, he is," the guy agreed in tones that indicated she was at a kindergarten age.

Callysta spun round to glare at him. "You know what my name is and it isn't 'sweetheart'."

Brooks rolled his eyes. "Okay then. Fine, whatever. You can be whoever you want to be. Shall I call you Julia Roberts then?"

Callysta stared at him. "You really don't know who I am?" she asked, a mix between anger and shock reverberating through her.

Brooks looked more and more impatient. "Listen, you look like a nice girl okay and I know you're in this little band but I have no idea who you are okay? Is it a crime that I can't remember every girl I meet?"

Callysta ignored that remark and glared at him. "Helio's not here."

She opened the door and stepped inside. She was closing it when she felt the solid shoe of someone holding it open. She spun around again. "What is so important that you have to harass us for?"

Brooks was looking more and more impatient. "Listen, Julia-" he said tiredly.

"It's _Callysta,_" she corrected lethally.

"Callysta then," he amended with a wave of his hand. "Just let me in to see if Helio's here or not. But for the record, don't bet on him not being here because I know you'd be wrong."

His confidence, cockiness and self-assurance were a mix that Callysta generally could not stand. She kept her mouth closed in a tight-lipped expression and allowed him to follow her.

Jasmine was in the kitchen making some breakfast when they entered. She looked up and as her eyes passed over Callysta's shoulder, setting on the proud features of Brooks, she almost swooned.

"Hi," she said, a little breathlessly. "I'm Jasmine Abilene."

Brooks glanced at her vaguely then looked around, ignoring her completely. Callysta had to hide a smile at Jasmine's furious expression. "Where's the studio?" he asked.

Callysta was about to open her mouth to reply when Phlox invisible voice rang around the room. "Jaz? Is that you? Is Lyss with you? Send her up if she is."

Jasmine rolled her eyes and reached over to stab the button on the intercom. "Brother dear," she said into the speaker with exaggerated patience. "Do I have to remind you yet again that I am _not _your secretary?"

They could hear Phlox' impatient sigh. "Yeah, yeah. Just tell her to come up."

Lyss was turning to make her way up the stairs when she heard Brooks speak again. "Phox?" he said into the intercom. "Is Helio there?"

He turned to look at Callysta with a raised brow and when Phlox said, "Yeah, come up," his smile grew so much that Callysta thought, and hoped, that his face would crack.

She didn't say anything and just made her way upstairs to the studio. Brooks followed and they didn't exchange one word during the walk there. 

When they entered, Callysta sent Phlox a glance that said everything. She was pissed off that he hadn't told her that he had found a replacement and had made her look like an idiot. She looked at Helio as well but remained silent.

"Helio," Brooks said, strolling into the room with a casual ease as if he owned the place. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Phlox' expression was annoyed. He twirled a drumstick as Callysta flicked her microphone on and blew into it, testing it. Helio looked uncertain but before he could answer, Phlox answered for him.

"Can you save it for later?" he asked in a firm voice. "We have to get started. We have a gig tomorrow night."

Brooks stared at the vampire for a long moment and his golden eyes were narrowed. Finally, he broke the terse silence himself. "I'll be back in a couple of hours," he said to Helio directly. He left the room without looking at Callysta's smirking expression and slammed the door behind him.

Helio cleared his throat. "Uh, sorry about that," he apologized.

"Don't worry," Phlox replied. "Let's just get started okay?"

In the studio, his word was law so they obeyed. Helio caught onto the riffs of all the songs with ease and played as if he had been with them from the start. When Callysta asked him about it, he admitted that he had their album and played along with it sometimes. 

They sounded tight and together and Callysta could tell from Phlox' expression that he was definitely pleased. The guy was almost smiling in fact.

They had been at it for two hours when Brooks re entered the room. Callysta was just letting the last note of a song trail out to die slowly when she felt his eyes on her. She hadn't even known he was in the room until she felt his presence.

The golden eyes were impassive. His stance was controlled, arms folded and one foot out to the side tapping. It was not tapping to the beat however, just impatience.

She took a breath and pulled her eyes away from him with an effort. Phlox took a final swing at his drums then broke off and nodded at Helio.

Helio lifted his guitar strap from over his head and approached Brooks. They conferred in hushed tones that not even Callysta could hear. Brooks looked up at her once before he looked away quickly again. She stubbornly refused to meet his eyes again.

While they were talking, at Phlox unspoken signal, they began to pack up. Benton quietly and with Phlox obeying his usual routine. Callysta merely flicked the switch on her mike and then went to pack up Helio's bass and leads since he was so busy.

Helio looked at her when she started to do that and smiled his thanks before Brooks snapped his figures so his brother's attention wouldn't stray again. Nobody had to guess which sibling was boss there.

Phlox came to stand next to his cousin. "What did you think?" he asked.

Callysta shrugged non-comittedly. "It went okay. Helio's good."

"Real good," Phlox agreed. "What's the deal with that guy?" he nodded at Brooks.

Callysta scowled and wrapped a lead in loops around her arm. "His brother supposedly. I can't see the resemblance though."

"Neither. And I can't figure out if he's a witch or a vamp." Phlox sounded puzzled. "Do you know?"

"No," Callysta responded in a similar tone. "I couldn't figure it out either. He looks like a vampire but he's got that witch thing as well. He's meant to be from England. The council recruited him over here."

"What's his flavor?" Phlox asked. "Assassin? Spy? Servant boy?"

Again Callysta shrugged. She was getting slightly irritated at how much she didn't know about this guy. "Could be either of the first two. The third? No way. He doesn't look like the type."

Phlox had to agree with his cousin there. The guy had something about him. It was like an aura of command and authority and it was even more evident while he stood next to Helio, who had nothing of what his brother possessed so effortlessly. Helio's posture was enough to say that he was feeling over powered by his brother.

"Try and found out would you?" Phlox said. His eyes were still on Brooks' figure and they didn't waver when they person in question turned to look back at them. "He pisses me off and I don't even know the guy. That can't be a good sign." He muttered the words as he turned back to his drums again.

Callysta smiled to herself and hung the lead on a hook on the wall. She flicked the amps off and then headed towards the couch to get her jacket. As soon as she approached, Helio glanced at her and Brooks went silent. 

"Ooooh," Callysta mocked. "Are you trading FBI secrets? Are aliens really out there?"

Brooks glared at her. "No sorry. You're alone."

Callysta shrugged her shoulders elegantly. "Alone?" she repeated. "Could you explain that to me Brooks? I mean, you must have such a great understanding of the word when it defines you're whole life."

"It's too hard to put it into words you'd understand, sunshine." Brooks's eyes were like lasers. They bored into her with unrelenting force. 

Callysta squared her shoulders. "I'm sorry Brooks. I shouldn't have said that. Being faced with the truth can be so painful. I apologize and I understand you're hostile reaction completely." She smiled sweetly and nodded with false sympathy.

Brooks now looked furious. Callysta looked smug. Helio was fidgeting madly and his eyes were darting between them in discomfort.

"Why don't you get your kicks else where?" Brooks suggested in a barely controlled voice. "I'm sure you'd be a welcome addition in the circus. Clowns are such a rare thing these days."

Callysta gritted her teeth and returned Brooks glare with strength. "Rare?" she repeated. "Like steak? I could do with some of that. Nice and _bloody_. Right now I'd just love to slice and dice you and throw you on the barbecue so watch it," she warned, "I don't always resist temptation." She let her canines retract and licked her lips.

Brooks rolled his eyes. "I'm shaking in my boots," he mocked. "Listen sweetheart, if you want a piece of me you'll have to wait in line. I'm a popular boy."

Callysta nearly choked on her laughter. "A popular boy? Well, well. Aren't you just the prom king, homecoming king and class president all in one. Congratulations little boy."

Helio was now looking extremely uncomfortable. Phlox was pretending that he wasn't listening but Callysta knew from the smirk on his face that he definitely was. Benton had as usual, left to avoid confrontations of any kind.

Brooks on the other hand was _furious. _His stance had turned completely aggressive. His eyes were liquid gold and shone with cold anger. He had practically forgotten Helio and anyone else in the room as well for that fact. Except Callysta.

He was focused on her completely. His eyes never strayed from her face and she felt his force like a harsh wind. 

"Go and sing in the rain, _little girl,_" he snapped. "And do the world a favor and catch hypothermia while you're at it."

"The world would be extremely grieved if that happened," Callysta replied, pulling on her jacket casually. "I'm the popular one. You can look at my fan mail if you want."

Brooks' face was one of aggravated fury. His perfectly chiseled features were sharp and tense as he faced her directly as if they were in physical combat. She thought he was going to say something because he opened his mouth as if about to speak, then just as abruptly he closed it and a devilish light glinted in his eyes.

He gave her one last detached and emotionless look before simply turning around. She was left facing his leather clad back.

It was that single gesture that sealed her opinion that she would never _ever _learn to like Brooks for as long as she lived. She was left to stand there staring stupidly at his back, still not believing what he had done. And not believe the arrogance in which he'd done it.

Helio was trying to catch her eye with apology settled in their depths but his bastard of a brother demanded his full attention. Callysta turned to look at her cousin. Phlox was watching Brooks with a concentrated frown on his face.

Brooks was ignoring all of them.

Callysta left.


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four ****

Chapter Four

Every eye in the room beheld the example of godly beauty on the stage. The girl was bewitching and had managed to capture the attention of the usual unruly crowd with the bat of an eyelid. 

She wore black knee high boots and a black miniskirt that revealed shapely legs and a fitting long-sleeved black top. A silver necklace hung from her neck and a small pendant of a dahlia swayed as she moved.

Violet eyes with a touch of ocean blue gazed out at the audience. The smile that tugged at her full lips was satisfied and triumphant. 

She loved moments such as these. They were times when the world seemed to stop on its axis just for her and the music. The sea of faces that swarmed before her, waiting expectantly, sent a slight shiver up her spine as she reminded herself that they were all here to see her. Her and her band. 

Dahlia.

This was the Black Iris and it was where they had begun their journey to success. They had played here at the start and the people that came here for drinks and partying had grown familiar with their music and had supported them. 

Now, Dahlia was back to thank them for that support in the only way they could. They were playing all their songs to a sell out crowd and were set to keep playing all through the night. 

The lights beat down on Callysta Abilene and she smiled again. 

This was where she belonged. This was what she lived to love. 

She acknowledged the crowd with a small nod of her head, bowing it forward slightly so that a tumble of mahogany coloured hair fell over her shoulders. 

Someone whistled in the darkness and she looked up to smile out at them again. She flicked her hair over her shoulder in a smooth, practised motion and looked back at Phlox.

Her cousin was enjoying the feeling of the limelight as much as she was. His handsome features were calm outwardly but she could see the glint of happiness in his usually emotionless eyes. He met her gaze and gave her a grim nod.

Then his drumsticks came down and the song began.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jude Brooks, or Brooks as he was known, watched Dahlia from a small table where he sat alone with his legs crossed at the ankles and one hand nursing a drink. His eyes were intent as the band went through their set.

Callysta moved lithely and gracefully with the music and her voice carried the notes at perfect pitch and sound. It wavered up and down the scale so it gained a haunting effect and her eyes, gazing out at the crowd, commanded the audience to watch and enjoy.

Her flame-coloured hair was falling down her back in waves and her black clad body swayed slightly. A single leathered foot kept time with the music and occasionally she glanced around at her fellow band members to smile and convey her approval at their smooth transitions.

He knew who she was of course.

Callysta Abilene was the only daughter of two infamous council members. Her parents' regal bearings had obviously been passed down to her as she held herself proudly as if she had every right to be where she was and portrayed confidence in every gesture.

"Is this seat taken?"

Brooks looked up at the sound of the voice and regarded the beautiful blond girl with glittering blue eyes with an air of relaxed boredom. Her face held some of the Abilene features and he remembered her as Phlox Abilene's sister, Jasmine.

He sighed inwardly. Outwardly, he remained as cool as always as he replied, "Just my invisible friend but he won't mind if you sit on him."

Jasmine's flirtatious smile dropped marginally and he could see those eyes of hers that appeared at a glance to be so innocent and endearing, grow slightly frosty.

She sat in a fluid movement and crossed her long legs. She smiled at him again and then looked over at the stage where her cousin and brother were performing like the professionals they were.

"What do you think of them?" she finally asked.

He knew she had been dying to begin a conversation with him and that a question regarding the obvious centre of his attention was a guaranteed starter. 

He shrugged eloquently. 

"Have you heard their music before?" she persisted determinedly.

Brooks realised this girl was going to be a hard one to shake. "Some," he was forced to reply.

"Phlox is great tonight," she observed as if she would know. "Callysta's been better."

Her casual criticism of her cousin did not go unnoticed and Brooks saw that for the lie it was. He doubted Callysta could be any better than she was now in her element but he refrained from saying so.

Instead, he took a sip of his drink and raised an eyebrow in reply.

A small frown marred Jasmine's unnatural beauty and gave way to some of the frustration she must have been feeling at his lack of response.

"What are you drinking?" she asked, tossing her hair and arranging herself in what she hoped was more attractive position.

"Blood and bourbon," he said in a flat voice. He took another sip then held the glass out to her. "Want some?"

She winced and he didn't bother to hide his small smile of amusement. He did however, decide to hide the fact that he was actually drinking rum and coke but she wasn't to know that when the lights were so low and the stench of cigarette smoke hid it's scent from her. He swallowed the drink in one and smiled at her dangerously again.

"I'm just going to get another drink," he said. He stood, purposely forgetting to offer to get her one, and went to the bar where he perched on the stool and spoke to the bartender until she managed to get the message.

She did finally and the expression on her face as she left the table was smouldering and not that of the party girl image she had tried to convey.

Something about the girl got to him. It was as if she wanted him for amusement or a fun diversion from the other nil heads that she would usually go for. And though, even he had to attempt that she was beautiful, it was a cold and calculated beauty that fell no deeper than the make up she so carefully applied.

His thoughts left Jasmine Abilene as the song that had been playing came to a slow yet deliberate end. It was greeted with a loud round of applause that reverberated off walls and echoed. 

Callysta smiled graciously at the clapping and waited for silence. When it came she leaned into the microphone and spoke. "Well, Black Iris," she said in relaxed and familiar tones, "It's been a while and we've missed you more than you know. It's great to be back here and you're still the best audience we've ever had." This was greeted with another round of applause and Callysta laughed. "Okay, okay, that's enough." The crowd joined her laughter. "We're just going to take a break for a while and then we'll be giving you some previews from our new album."

The lights dimmed and the band broke up, laying their instruments to rest reverently as a stereo began to play some music in their absence.

Brooks watched in interest as they stepped off the stage. Unlike most of their concerts, the Night Worlder's of the Black Iris were not the type to approach them for autographs and they passed through the crowd easily. They approached a group of people who sat at some tables and sat down, joining in with the laughter and yells with them. 

Obviously old friends, Brooks thought wryly.

Callysta was in her element. She was laughing and talking animatedly and Jasmine had come to sit beside her. The blue eyed girl eyed Brooks with an impassionate stare then turned and said something to Callysta.

The lead singer turned and locked eyes with Brooks. He caught her look of surprise that was hastily masked by a cold stare. He smiled to himself and turned away from her for the second time and talked to the bartender again.

Helio had also seen his brother and uncomfortable in his friends' familiar surroundings, he decided to approach him instead of lingering there.

"Hey," Brooks said at his appearance at his side.

"Uh, hi," Helio stammered. Brooks refrained from rolling his eyes. His little bro needed some serious confidence coaching and a little speech therapy wouldn't go astray.

"You're doing good, kid," Brooks said. He was being honest. 

"You know I don't like you calling me that," Helio muttered quietly. The witch was as always slightly disconcerted in his older, more sophisticated and worldly half brother's presence. Neither had any idea who their father was but were pretty certain that he wasn't the same guy. 

Brooks was centuries older than Helio was and it was only by fluke that Helio even knew he existed. Well, he was led to believe it was a fluke. Brooks had come into his life suddenly and unannounced two years ago and had remained a constant presence. Helio was yet to decide whether it was an unwanted presence or not.

"Have you found out where they live yet?" Brooks asked. He stared straight ahead and his voice was businesslike once again.

Helio swallowed and pulled a crumple piece of paper from his pocket. He handed it to his brother who unfolded it and nodded. Then he examined the paper with a wrinkled nose. "What is this?" he asked. "A shopping list?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm meant to pick them up for mum."

Brooks sighed. "Good old _mum,_" he said with unhidden sarcasm. "She's a real homemaker ain't she?" The question was rhetoric and Helio didn't bother to answer. He didn't really have anything to say to it.

Their mother was an alcoholic who had strings upon strings of boyfriends and Brooks despised and loathed her with undisguised passion. Helio could understand his half brother's resentment but he could never feel it himself. He only felt pity for the woman whose looks were depleting as face as the contents of her many liquor bottles. He stayed with her out of pity and suspected he'd stay there for the same reason.

"How's sunshine over there?" Brooks asked, tilting his head back at the table where Callysta and the other members of the band were still perched. "Got any info for me?"

"Not yet," Helio replied uncomfortably. He looked around them hastily for any over hearers. 

"Don't get paranoid on me little bro," Brooks snapped. "I've got it covered okay?"

Helio knew that that meant his brother had wrapped them in a spell that would prevent anyone from overhearing them. His brother was what could be known as a hybrid. He had been borne a witch and a powerful one of that. He should have died when a lamia vampire had attempted to make him one of them. But he didn't and now he was a living specimen of vampire and witch blood combined in one devastatingly handsome package.

"I want you to check out the blond girl too," Brooks commanded. "I don't like her and I want to know why. She's got something to hide."

Helio nodded miserably. It seemed he was getting deeper and deeper into all of this. Not even he knew the reason behind Brooks' sudden interest in Callysta Abilene and her bandmates. He just hoped that whatever it was didn't get him kicked out of the band.

He had just begun to enjoy it.

"Right, I'm leaving," Brooks said abruptly. He stood up and vacated his stool. "I want any info in my private e-mail box tomorrow. Got it?" He didn't wait for Helio's obligatory nod. "Have fun."

He left then and Helio's eyes followed the confident figure of his brother. He didn't fail to notice that every female in the room watched as Brooks left. Among those eyes were Callysta Abilene's and the sight of that sent a pang to his heart.

It looked like Brooks had won again and this time he wasn't even trying.

__

I have an extremely vague idea where this is going but it's vague enough that I'm open for suggestions so don't be shy!! I would be forever and eternally grateful to anyone that reviews. Sorry for not updating this sooner but I can't seem to get Chap. 2 and 3 how I want them. And their still not right!! 

Not worry though. please r/r or email me at [ambz_m@hotmail.com][1]

__

Feedback is always appreciated. J 

   [1]: mailto:ambz_m@hotmail.com



	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five ****

Chapter Five

Callysta got home at an hour that would not have been permitted if she had lived with her parents. Thank god she wasn't. They were still in their massive mansion on the other side of town and she was in her own, stylish apartment in the city.

After last night, she had been exhausted and the prospect of sleeping in was one she yearned for but couldn't obtain without inviting the wrath of her parents.

She had just got back from their standard Sunday breakfast together, one that her parents still insisted on even though it was an obvious waste of everyone's time. Nobody spoke during the meal, Callysta because she was slightly hung over and her parents because they were reading over Night World documents while eating at the same time.

So it was just as well they had had a meeting and she'd been given an excuse to leave early. Rubbing bleary eyes and stubbornly refusing to look into any windows or mirrors that would reflect her tousled image, she made her way to her door.

It was unlocked.

She stepped inside warily, her body shifting into fighting mode automatically, her eyes searching ahead of her and her back always facing a wall. 

The alarm had been set off.

By now, she was well past her initial feeling of worry and full on anger was sweeping over her like the tide. Nobody dared to break into _her _apartment and the idiots that did were going to be in shit past their heads once she got hold of them. 

And she would get hold of them.

"In here, sunshine."

Callysta paused in mid-step and froze. She closed her eyes tightly, hoping and praying that that voice didn't belong to that certain somebody she had managed to hate in such short a time. The lilt and arrogance in it was enough to grit her teeth together as she entered the lounge.

Brooks was sprawled across her favorite leather couch with his legs slung across it. His shoes were still on! If that sight wasn't enough to send her into a rage, the sight of him smoking a cigarette and flicking through one of her magazines was guaranteed to send her off the edge.

"I didn't picture you as the type to read this crap," he commented blandly as he blew a stream of cigarette smoke out from slightly pursed lips. "'How to guarantee you're boy's a good toy?'" He laughed. He tapped ash into a nearby pot plant. "Sunshine, we need to get you to a library and fast."

He looked up at her now. His eyes traveled slowly yet purposely from the magazine page then up her body to her face. She stood, nearly shaking, frozen in her fury. He stared at her for a moment and she swore that his lips twitched at the sight of her face.

He swung his legs off the couch and onto the floor and threw the magazine carelessly onto the coffee table. "You look a bit tense there," he observed wryly. "Meditation is good for that. Or yoga." He paused and looked thoughtful. "Maybe it's just sexual frustration." He smiled and wriggled his eyebrows suggestively. "I could always help you out with that."

Callysta was still spell bound. He shook dark hair from his face casually and took one last final drag on his cigarette. He stubbed it out in the pot plant and when he looked up at her again, his eyes, that perfect shade of golden yellow, were wary and alert. 

The guy meant business.

"What is wrong with you?" he demanded after a prolonged silence. His voice was annoyed and full of exasperation as was his face. "Did you bite you're tongue off or something?"

His tone sent her crashing back to earth and she was ready to blast him well and truly until he was crisp and burnt. "_What the hell are you doing in my apartment? How did you get in here you bastard!" _

Her eyes had narrowed to slits and her voice was loud and thunderous. Brooks winced and rubbed his ear soothingly. He opened his mouth to reply but she was too fast for him.

"I don't know what you think you're doing but whatever it is, I'm not interested. Get out." Her voice was no longer loud. It was deadly quiet and the coldness and danger in it was far more scathing than her screaming. 

Brooks allowed himself to be _slightly _impressed. But only slightly. How could he not be when she managed to look like that at nine in the morning after a long night out. He knew it had been long as it had been reported back to him that she had turned up in the wee hours of the morning. The watchmen on her house had told him.

"Are you deaf?" she demanded, hands on hips and blue-violet eyes sparking angrily. "Do have a _hearing impediment?_" Her last words were yelled as if he was deaf and on the wrong side of ninety. Her voice echoed painfully in his head.

"No, I don't but thank you for you're concern," he muttered quietly, so quietly that even with her vampire hearing she would have had to strain to hear it.

It worked and he had her more sane attention.

"The only thing I'm _concerned_ about is the stench you've left in my apartment and you're appearance in general." She snapped, snatching the magazine from the coffee table and throwing it behind her. Then she grabbed his cigarette butt from the pot plant and threw it on his coat where it lay on her couch. "_And _I'm also concerned for my security company because when I'm done with them, they'll be well and truly out of business."

"You could do that?" Brooks asked, feigning curiosity.

She stared at him disbelievingly. "I can do anything I damn well want!"

He nodded seriously. His expression appeared thoughtful. "How about flying?" he asked. "That would be pretty cool."

Her look was designed to kill any kind of animal. "Is it just me or do I recall telling you to _get out!_"

Brooks sighed. She was standing over him aggressively. Her hands were on her hips and her hair was hanging disarrayed and tousled down her back. Her simple outfit of jeans and a top managed to have the same effect on him as her mini skirt had last night. It made his pulse race that little bit faster than normal.

"What?"

Brooks blinked back to reality at the sound of her harsh voice. He looked up to see her glaring at him and waiting for an answer.

"What?" He repeated. He had no idea what she was talking about.

"What are you staring at me for?" She demanded, her voice rising frustratedly. "I am growing a horn or something or are you just cross eyed?"

Brooks sighed and decided that he had had enough of her verbal taunts. He stood up and smirked as her eyes widened and she stepped away from him. He tossed his hair out of his eyes again. He should probably get it cut when he had the time.

Callysta was watching him carefully with distrust radiating from every part of her body.

He smiled. "You were great last night by the way," he complimented her.

She wasn't fooled. Her face was still stony and emotionless.

"Okay, that's not why I came," he admitted, annoyed. Would it kill the girl to smile once in a while? He looked at her again and she still hadn't said anything. "I need some information and I thought you might be able to give it to me."

"Why would you think that?" Callysta asked in a voice that was eerily calm and managed to make him uneasy. 

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "It's not great secret who you are, sunshine." He answered. Her eyes flared angrily at the name he had given her so he tactfully changed his argument. "You descend from a line that goes back in the ages. You're family has held power since that time and they still do today."

Callysta's eyed cleared. "So it's my _family _that you want to get to."

Brooks was getting frustrated. She wasn't responding in the way she was meant to, in the way he had prepared for. She was supposed to sit down and be calm and attentive and hear him out properly. And then she was meant to concede.

"I don't want to get to you're family," Brooks returned. "I just need information from them. It's important."

The girl opposite him considered his answer. Her head tilted to the side at an angle so that her hair spilled down in a waterfall of flames. He studied her carefully, taking in the perfect curve of her lip and the delicate arch of her cheekbones, then her slim, jeans encased figure that was standing so elegantly.

"No." she said simply. "You're not going to use me just to get to my parents."

"I'm not using anyone!" he rolled his eyes. "I need information. That's all."

"What for?"

Brooks paused then. He couldn't tell her. It could ruin everything. "It's confidential," he said firmly. "And it's not my place to divulge information of that nature."

Laughter. Pure, unadulterated laughter was what he heard next. Callysta had covered her mouth with her hand but that couldn't hide her smile and it definitely didn't hide the bellowing sound of her amusement. 

Brooks stared.

Between gulping breaths, Callysta managed to speak. "Do you take lessons to sound that pompous and patronizing or does it just come naturally?"

He scowled. He crossed his arms on his chest angrily and glared at her until she had sobered somewhat. It didn't last long until she looked at his face and laughed again. Firstly, nobody laughed at him and it was annoying him like hell. Secondly, even more annoying was how much he liked the sound of her laughter.

"Finished?"

Callysta sobered instantly. "Not a humorous kind of guy are you," she observed.

He didn't deign that with a reply. "Can I rely on you or not?" he asked again.

She stopped and straightened her shoulders. She shook her head. "No."

Brooks shrugged his shoulders and hid his disappointment behind a nonchalant appearance. "Fine."

Callysta scowled. "As if I would help an idiot that broke into my apartment," she snapped. "An idiot that's after my family connections and sees me as the weakest link. And lastly, an idiot that hasn't even told me what he wants this 'information' for. For all I know, you could be with Daybreak."

"Get back to reality, sunshine," Brooks scoffed, appalled at the very thought of him and Daybreak being said in the same sentence. "Daybreak is a waste of energy and I am not that stupid."

She didn't have to say anything, he could tell by the expression on her face what she was thinking. 'Are you sure?'

Callysta walked to the door and held it open. She stared at him with steely eyes that shone with determination and scorn. "It's of no importance to me whether you're stupid or not. I couldn't give a human's heart. Just get the hell out of my house."

They stared at each other. Caught in a deadly war where words held no meaning, they stood and fell into one another's eyes for what seemed like a long time but was really only a few seconds. Brooks felt himself cascading into the depths of those violet and blue eyes and hung suspended.

Callysta was spiraling downwards in a golden haze of color and warmth. 

__

Ding.

The downstairs intercom rang and then Jasmine Abilene's grating voice rang from its speaker. "Callys_ta,_" she purred down the line. "Let me up already!"

Brooks winced and backed a step away from the girl in front of him. Callysta blinked and shook her head, trying to clear it.

She reached over and pushed the intercom button a bit dazedly. "Hang on Jaz, I just have to do something."

She took her finger off the button and looked at Brooks again. "I think you'd better go."

Brooks smiled. "I'd love to."

He swept out the door, avoiding touching her as if she had the plague. He didn't believe in the soulmate principle but he did believe in being careful. The last thing he needed was some weak female having to find protection with him. 

The worst thing would be having Callysta Abilene being that woman.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Brooks was still recovering from his run in with Callysta when Helio came knocking at his door. He opened it to find his brother in his uniform jeans and t-shirt with his hands stuff down his pockets and hunched shoulders. Brooks rolled his eyes.

"What do you want?" he asked impatiently.

Helio jumped at the sound of his voice. "Uh, it's about the Abilene's," he mumbled.

Brooks' attention was caught. "Which one's?"

"Callysta's parents," Helio answered. "There's been a contract put out on them and it's been picked up already. The reward is half a million dollars."

Brooks' expression was thoughtful. He leaned against the frame of his door with crossed arms. "Do you know who by?" 

"No. Whoever it is signed on as anonymous. Nobody's been able to find out who it is and they're pretty eager to. They're hoping whoever it is will fail and the contract will be up for sale again."

"I would be hoping that too," Brooks agreed. He bit down on his lip consideringly. "What was the time restriction? And does Phlox know?" The guy seemed like the type who would be up with every type of Night World news.

"The time restriction is set for now to sometime in the next two months. Whoever it is will have plenty of time to plan and carry it out," Helio answered. His dark hair was unruly as ever and the expression in his eyes was slightly fearful.

Once upon a time, that expression would have pissed Brooks off more than a vermin winning against him ever could. He used to hope that the little brother he searched for would be tough, strong and intelligent and that they would form a formiddable team together.

No such luck.

Helio managed to be exactly what Brooks had hoped against. The guy was weak, he had absolutely no guts at all and he lacked in confidence in a big way.

"And Phlox?" Brooks reminded him in a harsher tone.

"Oh, um," Helio looked at the ground and Brooks tried to hide his gritted teeth. "Phlox doesn't know. It's been made sure that the news of it doesn't get out to those that are close to the Abilene's. Espeicially Phlox and…" he paused. "Callysta."

The significance that Helio had put on that last name did not go unnoticed. To be truthful, Brooks found it quite amusing, if a little bit sad, that a guy like Helio could dare to hope that a girl like Callysta Abilene would ever consider having anything to do with him. Hell, he wasn't even sure he himself would manage to snag her.

He thought upon that for a moment and grinned. It would be a hell of a lot of fun trying though.

"Is that it?" Brooks asked briskly.

Helio nodded and stuffed his hands even deeper in his pockets. "Uh huh. That's it."

"Okay then. Thanks little bro. I'll see you later then?"

Helio nodded again. "Yeah sure. Bye."

Brooks watched his brother's retreating back and almost sighed. When Helio had been hooked on Blaise Harman, _that _had been bad. But now?

Helio been hooked on Callysta Abilene was looking even worse.


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six ****

Chapter Six

"You do know that there's a law against stalking don't you?" Callysta Abilene said. She couldn't manage to hide the amusement in her eyes. It was turning into a bit of a game and since her life was so boring at the moment, it wasn't such a bad thing to be stalked and chased by a gorgeous vampire.

"No, you're mistaken," Brooks replied breezily. "That would be a _human _law you're talking about. In article 359 of Night World law, it states that 'stalking' or the act of watching and following your chosen victim is condoned unless the victim is given sanctuary by the council."

His eyes were lighter shades today and his features had been set in careful, controlled expressions ever since he had found Callysta looking through a music shop and had suddenly appeared at her side out of nowhere.

"Don't you think I come under the second part? My parents _are _a significant part of council as I'm sure you know." Callysta smirked and crossed her arms.

She monitored Brooks' response carefully. She saw what she expected, a flash of annoyance and the taunt, slight amusement and then another thing that surprised her, a flash of worry.

It made her feel uneasy and her previous cocky attitude began to dissipate. 

"I'd have to see it in writing to make it valid," Brooks answered with a shrug. "Until then, I'm afraid I won't be giving up my 'stalking'."

Callysta lifted her shoulders in an uncaring gesture and leaned across Brooks' to lift a sparkling guitar from its stand. Her hand closed around the guitar neck and the lifted it easily.

"Can you play?" Brooks asked. He sounded dubious.

Callysta looked up at him and glared. She sat down on a small stool and positioned her fingers on the fret board. Then she played a quick rendition of a haunting Metallica song to get the sound of the instrument.

Brooks didn't say anything. 

"Do _you _play?" Callysta returned silkily with veiled eyes. She was almost positive that he couldn't. He didn't look like the type at all and most of the time you could tell.

Brooks looked at her for a moment than shrugged elegantly again.

"What is that meant to mean?" Callysta asked.

"I play," Brooks conceded, "But I'm no Eric Clapton."

Callysta rolled her eyes. "And here I was thinking you jammed with the guy on a regular basis. So, what do you play? 'Michael Row Your Boat Ashore'? " She smirked. "Or how about 'Rock around the Clock'? Don't get me wrong," she smiled mockingly. "I love that song but you know, it's a bit," she held her hand to the side of her face and leaned forward, as if wanting to tell him something private. "_Basic, _don't you think?"

Brooks scowled angrily. He didn't know what it was, but this girl managed to annoy him more than anyone else he had ever met and with over a hundred years underneath his belt, he had met a lot. 

"Yeah, I play both of those," he sneered sarcastically. "Don't forget Kum-Bi-Yah now will you?"

Callysta returned his look and held the guitar up for him. She held her hand out expectantly. 

Brooks looked down at it. "Well?" she demanded. "Do I have to pay for a performance?"

Golden eyes flashed at the challenge and his chin took on a determined tilt. He held her eyes while one hand reached up to take the guitar from her offered hand.

Then his fingers touched hers for the briefest of moments but that was all it took. 

She fell into his mind and was wrapped in his commanding presence as the thundering of his thoughts circulated in her mind.

__

Are you serious? was the first one that registered the most clearly. It was accompanied with a strong feeling of disbelief.

__

This is not _what I think it is, _was the next one.

__

What the hell are you doing? Callysta demanded.

__

I'm not doing anything, sunshine, this is nature taking its course.

Callysta didn't know what to think. Some part of her knew what was happening. She had heard enough stories to know what this meant. The soulmate principle had finally struck.

__

I'm disappointed, she sent back. _I was hoping my soulmate would be someone with at least the decency not to…._

Not to what?

I don't know, she replied. He felt her mental sigh. _I thought I'd at least like him a little bit._

You don't like _me? _Brook's mental voice was demanding and had a ring of hurt in it.

She was silent. His voice inside her mind was loud and its presence was a stubborn one that refused to cease.

__

You don't like me? He repeated. _That's easily remedied then. _It was like a challenge. It was a challenge in fact. His voice had taken a determined tone and before she knew what was happening, she felt his arms encase her in a strong embrace and then the brush of his lips covering her own was the only thing she felt.

The kiss was powerful and agonizingly long. She became aware that she wasn't pulling away and that she was actually responding. Brooks was experiencing similar surprise. She felt him struggling with inner feelings that he couldn't hide from her.

It was then that the pictures of his mind became clear to her and it was like she was watching a movie. It was a movie with herself cast as the leading lady.

She saw images of their first meeting when she had been speaking with Helio and he had interrupted. She felt the jealousy and curiosity that had been the cause of the interruption and then at their next meeting, how his curiosity had turned to genuine intrigue and the need to know more about her.

She saw herself standing behind her microphone at the Black Iris and the feeling of his admiration for her and the sense of being proud of her and wanting to protect her grow.

Brooks' sensed that she was seeing all of this and though at first, he had struggled to hide it, he now let her see and marvel at these thoughts.

They were interrupted by a not very discreet cough that brought them crashing back to reality.

Brooks lifted his head with a look of annoyance in his eyes and Callysta took the time to regain her breath and control of herself. She stepped back from his grasp and turned to see the store manager glaring at them both.

A broken guitar was held up in front of them. "This costs $700," the man snapped. "Who's going to pay for it?"

Brooks was looking very very annoyed now. He still had a hand wrapped around her waist and from all appearances, it didn't look like he was willing to move it.

She saw his mouth open and knew that the words that would come would not be pleasant. She quickly stepped forward. "I will," she answered hurriedly, glancing at her soulmate with a look that clearly told him to shut up. "I have an account here that you can put it on. Abilene," she gave the name with a smile that didn't work in detracting the angry look on the man's face.

He humphed and gave them a last long look with an expression of disgust. "Good," he replied haughtily. "Now that that's settled, I'd think it would be to both our advantages if you finished your canoodling somewhere else."

Brooks looked just as furious as the man had five seconds previously looked. "'Canoodling'?" he repeated. "I don't think that's an actual word. In fact, it's-"

He grunted at the sudden impact of an elbow in his ribs. "You're right, sir." Callysta said apologetically. "Terribly sorry about that."

The manager didn't say anything. He just looked down at the broken guitar and then back at them and muttered something under his breath before turning away.

Brooks glared after him. "Idiot."

Callysta glared at him. "If you had just taken the guitar that wouldn't have happened," she snapped.

Brooks rolled his eyes. "Give me a break."

"Sure. Where would you like it?"

Brooks hid a grin. "Why do have to go back to being so disagreeable?" he inquired. "I know for a fact that five seconds ago you were the exact opposite."

"Five seconds ago you sexually harassed me and I didn't appreciate it."

She saw the look of amusement and knew he was about to show her again how much she had appreciated it and managed to grab his hand and literally pull him outside the shop. She ignored the tingling feeling that ran through her body at his touch and hastily let go his hand once they hit outside air.

Brooks was smiling at her and his golden eyes had a lazy warmth in them that made her stomach turn. He shook dark hair out of them and she thought of offering to cut it for him. The thought was quickly squashed down.

"Sure you can cut it," Brooks said.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded, trying to hide the feeling of alarm she experienced. Could he hear everything she thought?

"Not everything," Brooks answered, clearly finding joy in her worry. "You just have to get better at mind blocking people."

Callysta tried to sense his thoughts but she encountered a strong wall that prevented her from penetrating into his mind. She sniffed and tried to hide her annoyance.

"Nice try," he commented. "I'll give you a few lessons."

"No it's okay," she declined. "That would mean I'd have to see you again and that's not going to happen."

Brooks' expression was confident. "Oh, it'll happen," he promised. "You're my soulmate and I happen to find that quite agreeable." As if wanting to punctuate the remark, he took her in his arms again and squeezed her middle lightly.

She struggled to think clearly and to not focus on his warmth.

"Don't be an idiot," she scolded. "We don't even like each other. This whole thing is just ridiculous."

"Ridiculous she says," he narrated. "I would have to disagree with her there. And what is this she says about not liking each other?" he continued. "I do hope she doesn't go around kissing every guy she doesn't like."

"I'll go around kissing whoever I want."

Brooks eyes turned dark and his arms around her tightened possessively. "No you won't," he said coldly. "The only lips you'll ever touch now are mine."

Her eyes locked onto his and she felt his face moving closer to her own. Uh uh, she thought. Not again. Well, at least not right now, she amended as an after thought.

She ducked her head and instead of hearing annoyance she heard the surprisingly pleasant sound of his laughter.

"Come on," he smiled. "Let's go for a walk."

He released her for an instant until he took her hand in his own and led her away so that she was forced to follow. She realized that 'forced' was not exactly an accurate description as she almost felt compelled to follow.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They spent the rest of the day walking through the parks and window-shopping. Most of the time, they were heard to be arguing furiously and one would have thought they were enemies if they hadn't seen their arms wrapped around each other in an embrace that didn't falter as they hurled their insults.

She didn't know how it happened, but they ended up at her apartment, sitting on the couch and talking. Their differing opinions didn't seem to matter anymore and Callysta found that her arguments weren't as well thought out as they might have been if the guy sitting next to her wasn't so damned good looking.

They talked well into the night and took immense pleasure in hearing each other's laughter. Brooks was clearly captivated with her and Callysta was forced to admit to herself that she felt the same and probably worse. 

She suspected she was falling in love with him.

It was her last thought before she fell asleep. Her eyes closed finally as she snuggled into Brooks' chest with his arms wrapped around her warmly. She felt the light kiss on her forehead before darkness and dreams enveloped her.

It was too good to be true.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Her sleep was interrupted in the morning, when sunlight filtered into the room and the sound of Brooks' regular breathing was heard. She was mentally grateful that the guy didn't snore. She wouldn't be able to stand it if her boyfriend snored.

Wait a minute. Her boyfriend?

"CALLYSTA!" Callysta jumped slightly at the sound of her name. Brooks opened one golden eye lazily and tightened his arms around her and tugged her close.

"Let's go back to sleep," he suggested in a muffled voice as he buried his face in her hair.

Callysta felt a smile tug at her lips. "Sorry," she apologized.

"What for?"

"For this." She took hold of his hands from where the rested behind her back and leapt up, yanking him to a standing position with her. He groaned and raked a hand through his hair. "You've got to hide," she said, turning serious. She pulled his arm.

"You want me to hide?" he repeated in an unbelieving tone. "From who exactly?" he inquired with exaggerated politeness. 

Callysta's eyes pleaded with him. "Please? That's Jasmine downstairs."

"The one screaming down the intercom like an annoyingly high pitched maniac?"

Callysta glared at him. "That maniac happens to be my best friend," she snapped defensively.

"Yeah, well, we all make mistakes," he returned coldly.

"Just hide before I hit you," she snapped. "Now."

Brooks glared back at her furiously. "I'm not going to hide," he stated. "I'm going to the kitchen to make some breakfast. If Jasmine happens to come into the kitchen then she'll see me. If she doesn't, she'll never know I was here."

Callysta saw that that was as far as he was going to budge. "Fine. Get in the kitchen already."

With aggrivatingly slow movements, he brushed his hair back from his eyes and walked deliberately down the hall to where the kitchen was. Callysta took the time to clean the couch up a bit and her appearance. She finally made her way to the intercom.

"What is it Jasmine?" she spoke into the speaker, unable to hide the impatience in her voice.

"I'm coming up," Jasmine said. "Open the door."

Knowing that if she refused, her friend would immediately be suspicious, Callysta reluctantly complied and five seconds later, the blond beauty was stepping over the threshold to her house. Jasmine was looking as chic as ever in tailored pants and a top with a leather jacket and scarf. Her blue eyes were wide and emphasized with dark eyeliner and mascara.

"Hey," she greeted her. "Where were you yesterday? We were meant to go shopping."

Callysta had forgotten. "I had to go over some stuff with mum and dad," she lied smoothly.

Jasmine nodded understandingly and went to sit down on the couch. Callysta was worried that something might be astray and the fact that Brooks had stayed the night might become blatantly obvious. 

"I understand totally," Jasmine assured her. "You're parents are so important to the council these days. They've got a lot of power now that Hunter's gone don't they?"

"Yeah, they're pretty comfortable I guess."

Jasmine smiled. "I'm sure they are," she replied. Callysta copied her smile mockingly and Jasmine gave a forced kind of laugh.

Suddenly there was a loud crash from down the hall and Callysta experienced a sinking feeling in her stomach accompanied with one of fury directed at her soulmate. Jasmine's eyes widened in surprise and then in open disbelief. She stared at Callysta.

"Lyss?" she asked softly. "Do you have a visitor?"


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven ****

Chapter Seven

Callysta could have killed Brooks with her bare hands if only he had been within reach. Jasmine's eyes were narrowed at her and the expression on her friend's face was as far from amused as was possible.

She cleared her throat, excuses running through her head, none of which would have been believable. The cat did it? She didn't have a cat. It was the wind? The wind couldn't possibly make that much noise.

She opened her mouth but the words didn't come out as Brooks stepped into the hallway and walked towards them.

Jasmine stood and turned slowly, as if she knew what she was going to see.

"Hi," Brooks greeted them without expression.

Jasmine's eyes were slits. "Brooks," she said coolly. "What a surprise."

"A pleasant one of course," he replied with a raised brow.

Jasmine's shoulders were as set as her jaw. "Always," she said through gritted teeth.

"He was just leaving," Callysta said, glaring at her soulmate angrily.

Brooks shrugged his broad shoulders uncaringly. "Sure," he agreed. He smiled sarcastically at the blond girl who still glowering at him and walked towards Callysta. He took her hand and raised it slowly, very slowly with his eyes meeting hers, and kissed it.

Callysta stiffened and allowed him the small victory. 

"I'll see you later on then," he smirked. "_Sweetheart._"

"You're not funny," she whispered furiously. 

Brooks's eyes widened in surprise but he didn't say anything. With that smirking smile still written across his handsome features he just looked into her eyes. Then he broke the gaze swiftly and turned to looked at Jasmine.

"A pleasure as always," he said, smiling.

"Always," Jasmine repeated in tones that were exact opposites of his own.

Without another word, or a backward glance, he scooped his jacket from the back of a chair and left. The gentle slamming of the door echoed around the apartment and it wasn't until silence greeted his departure that Jasmine finally spoke.

"You're an idiot," she hissed. "I don't know what you're playing at Lyss, but it's a game you can't possibly believe you'll win."

Callysta was taken aback at her friends ferocity. She knew that Jasmine would never approve of Brooks but her friend's aggression was heartfelt and the look in her eyes was one she only saw when her friend was facing someone she particularly loathed.

"I'm not playing a game," she defended.

"You actually think anything with," Jasmine threw her hands in the air, "_Him,_ will last? Don't disillusion yourself into thinking that that guy hasn't been around the block more times than I've been around you. His idea of a relationship is a casual night of foreplay and sex followed by a note goodbye with a fake promise of calling you. Be serious."

"I am being serious, Jasmine," Callysta answered. She felt annoyance seep through her at Jasmine's attitude and the way she acted as if she knew more about Brooks than she ever could. "He's my _soulmate._"

There was a stunned silence and then Jasmine exploded.

"You're soulmate?" she repeated. "What are you on? You know that that is all a load of shit that the Daybreakers have bred into society to evoke warm and fuzzy feelings and hopes to all the idiots that allow themselves to get sucked in to it. What is _wrong _with you?"

"What is wrong with you?" Callysta returned in a louder voice. "I'm being serious here. As serious as a heart attack."

"Heart attacks mean shit to us," Jasmine snapped. "The chances of Brooks staying with you are as high as you getting a heart attack so return to reality already. He's a player, Lyss."

Callysta didn't say anything. Finally, when she had pushed all thoughts of screaming at her friend, she replied, "Why do you hate him so much?"

The question took Jasmine aback and her eyes searched Callysta's as much as her mind searched for a reply. "I don't hate him," she denied. "He's just not for you."

"We happen to be very compatible," Callysta said, conveniently forgetting several incidences where she had yelled in frustration at her soulmate. "And the reality of it all is that we do belong together and we'll stay together."

"I wouldn't take those odds to Vegas."

"I'd like you to take you're smart ass opinions with you out the door."

Callysta's voice was flat and lacking in any kind of warmth.

Jasmine stared at her, feeling a gap building between them and an emotion that could only be described as intense hatred towards Brooks, that smirking idiot who thought that good looks and charm could get him anywhere.

"Fine," she agreed. "I'll see you later." 

"Maybe."

She ignored the last comment and yanked the door open. She let it slam shut with a hefty kick that failed to release any of the frustrations she was feeling. Idiot, she thought to herself. You bloody idiot, now you've just lost you're best friend and you're source of information. Perfect. 

She took off in her car with a squeal of tires and exhaust, beeping her horn at some kid that was just about to cross the road. She felt a bit better when she saw the frightened expression on his face. _Humans, _she snarled mentally.

Inside, Callysta had sunk on the couch, suddenly exhausted. What the hell had just happened? Jasmine had just criticized her with a tongue more scathing than fingernails on a chalkboard and that had never happened before. She'd never been in love before either.

The thought stopped her.

Maybe she really was in trouble.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Has your _friend _left?" 

Brooks' voice was silkily sarcastic with an undertone of dislike.

"Yeah, thanks to you."

Brooks sigh could be heard through the phone. "You really need to start meeting new people, sunshine," he said. "You know, get out and mingle a bit."

"I never felt the need to find new friends until you started chasing my old ones away," Callysta snapped, still angry that he had deliberately allowed himself to be discovered. "And it's not like I've ever seen you surrounded by all your 'pals'."

She could practically see his smirk. "I get surrounded quite often actually. But most of them wear skirts."

The comment, casually said with the intention of been joking, hit an unwanted mark. Jasmine's words echoed inside her, 'He's a player.' Would he really give up his girl chasing days just for her or was he just looking for a new interest?

"Helloooooooo?" Brooks said, sounding annoyed. "Are we still alive?"

Callysta blinked back to reality. "What?" 

"I _said,_" Brooks said with exaggerated patience. "Do you want to do anything tonight?"

The thought of spending another night with Brooks was welcoming and she allowed herself a small smile. Then it died when she remembered Dahlia was playing at a club that night.

"Can't," she said firmly. "I'm busy."

There was a slight silence. "That's fine then. I'll see you tomorrow."

Brooks's voice was flat and there was a definite tone of finality in it. Callysta almost felt regret at being so abrupt in her refusal but it was squashed when she thought that she would not come running at his beck and call just because they had some special 'link'. If he could act so cool and casual about it she certainly could as well.

"Fine. Until tomorrow then."

There was a pause. "Okay, I'll call you."

"I'll be waiting by the phone," Callysta rolled her eyes.

"Still love you."

Warmth spread through her limbs and she smiled softly. "Yeah, you too," she replied, this time in gentler tones. She felt his satisfaction through the line before he hung up, leaving her standing in the middle of her lounge faced with nothing but the dead dial tone of her portable phone.

"Bye," she whispered.


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight ****

Chapter Eight

Jasmine Abilene was out for blood. She wanted a pool of it to seep from a certain body and she wanted that body to wear Callysta's supposed soulmate's ugly face.

She had seen him at the band's gig the night before. Callysta didn't know that he had been there but she'd seen him sitting unobserved at a small dimly lit table, nursing a drink identical to the one he'd had when he had snubbed her.

The memory rankled and invoked a new wave of resentment.

He had to be disposed of. He could ruin all her well thought out plans and she couldn't let that happen. She had waited so long and that mysterious newcomer was not going to mess things up for her.

She would make sure of it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Callysta sat up in bed, slightly groggy but surrounded with a feeling of satisfaction as she remembered the crowd from the night before.

Dahlia had been positively buzzing and the response from their audience had been exhilarating. Their songs and transitions were smooth and professional and even Phlox had been optimistic about the success of their next album, which they would seen be releasing.

She glanced at her bedside alarm and the blinking red digits flashed at her. 8:30am. She was meant to be at her parents' house by nine. Late again. Typical.

She showered and dressed amidst numerous yawns and took her car keys from the bench.

Maybe she should invite Brooks to breakfast to meet her parents. Or maybe that would scare him off a bit. She didn't want it to look like she was hunting for a deep and meaningful relationship that he mightn't want.

She stood in front of the telephone, frowning. Should she?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The sound of Callysta's voice so early in the morning had warmed Brooks immensely and he had immediately agreed to meet her parents. He had heard plenty about the Abilene's and the chance to meet them in person was more enticing than he had thought.

He searched for the piece of paper that he had scrawled their address on and checked it. He was at the right place.

The Abilene mansion towered over the tall gate impressively with an imperious air. It was by far the most superior in wealth compared to the other houses that lined the street. The neighborhood stunk of wealth but the Abilene's had indeed outdone themselves.

He locked his car and shoved the paper in his pocket as he opened the sidegate and entered the property.

He walked past perfectly manicured lawns and flowerbeds and knocked on the door.

There was no answer.

"Hello? Mr. Abilene? Mrs. Abilene?" he called after pushing it open slightly, surprised that it was unlocked. "Anyone here?"

There was music coming from a room inside the house and hiding his unease, he made his way down a hallway that was lined with impressive original works that went unnoticed by him. The music got louder and he put a hesitant hand on the door handle and slowly turned it so that it opened on well-oiled hinges.

He stopped, standing stock-still.

He sniffed and the scent that invaded his nostrils was one that was not unfamiliar to him. He sniffed again and this time he was sure.

It was blood.

Blood stained the peach colored carpet and he moved further into the room, his senses alert and strained.

Two figures, dressed in expensive yet casual clothes were sprawled across the floor and eyes stared unseeingly at the ceiling. There was a man and a woman and both wore the features of the woman that he had come to love so dearly.

He was rushing over to them before he knew that he was even moving and fell to his knees beside the man that could be no one other than Callysta's father.

His fingers reached for a pulse that he knew wouldn't be there. He withdrew his fingers slowly and stared down at them. Terror, fear, disbelief and disgust riled for dominance inside him. 

He moved to the woman whose blood covered a blouse that earlier would have been a vibrant white. Now it was soaked to a crimson flower across her chest. A stake was still embedded in her chest and hair that was red like Callysta's surrounded the face of porcelain features embossed with an eternal expression of shock and fear.

She was dead as well.

"Mum? Dad? You left the door unlocked."

Brooks froze as the voice floated down the hallway. It was filled with slight surprise and familiarity. The tones were Callysta's and the form that appeared in the doorway also belonged to her.

He turned his head to see her face. Her eyes were wide and in a rush of emotion she ran to the still figures and flung her body across the form of her mother. Her body shook with emotion and her hair fell across her face and hid it from his view.

She shoulders shook until they stilled suddenly. Her head lifted slowly and she muffled a sob. She lifted a tear stained face and turned to him as if she had only just seen him. Her eyes widened and she cried out, leaping to her feet and stepping away from him.

Brooks felt despair wash over him. He went to his feet as well.

"I'm sorry Lyss," he whispered. "I'm so sorry." His eyes were flooded with tears as he saw the grief and loss in her own.

She gasped. 

"You _bastard!_" she screamed. "You fucking bastard!"

His eyes widened in alarm. "You've got it wrong, Lyss," he cried. "It wasn't me."

He stepped towards her entreatingly but she only stepped away until she was up against the wall. The fear in her eyes and the hatred tore into him.

"Please Lyss," he pleaded. "Listen to me."

He reached a hand out to her, searching for a connection. Her eyes fell to his hand and stayed there. 

Then she screamed.

He looked down at his hand and swore. It was covered in blood from where he had checked their pulses. He knew what it looked like. He knew that it had been made to look like this. 

"Lyss!" he implored.

She shook her head over and over again. "Get away from me! Get away you murdering bastard! Don't _touch _me!"

He stilled instantly. He froze where he was, knowing she was close to being hysterical and that if he moved any closer he would push her off the brink.

"I wouldn't do this," he denied. "I _couldn't _do this to you. I love you Lyss."

He tried to inject emotion and honesty into his words but knew he had failed when she shook her head violently again.

"I don't want to hear you!" she yelled, eyes blinded by tears and her voice filled with accusation. "Go away! You don't love me you liar! You wanted to get to my family," her eyes fell to the figures on the floor again. "_You killed them!"_

Helplessness filled him. He didn't know what to do. What could he do? He watched as her body folded into a heap onto the floor, her arms wrapping around her knees and her eyes staring at the bodies on the floor, darting between them as they followed the line of blood that joined them.

He moved towards her slowly but her eyes caught the movement instantly and she was on her feet in a rush and was advancing towards him. Then her hands were pummeling into his chest and they were hurting.

He swallowed air as they knocked into him with violence and force that would have driven him back if he hadn't stood his ground.

She was kicking at him and he had to grab her wrists before she could do any serious damage. She pulled one free viciously and aimed a fist at his face.

The impact of it hit his cheek at full force and he winced, hiding the pain that throbbed. He grabbed her wrist again, this time more firmly and did the only thing he could do. 

He sent a powerful wave of magic into her and then wrapped arms around her body as it fell against him. She was unconscious and could no longer fight him.

He felt a moment of regret but knew he had done the right thing. 

He thanked his mixed heritage for the first time and sent a thankful prayer to Hecate that his witch blood and vampire blood had combined while allowing him to live. 

He swept her limp body into his arms and paused to stare down into the beautiful face that was lifted to his. His arms tightened momentarily in protectiveness before he kicked open the door and stormed out of the house, leaving the blood and death that had greet both of them.

It was a picture that he knew he would never forget but he was going to make it certain that Callysta would.

He lay her body into the back of his car gently and brushed an errant curl back from her face. 

He knew that he had been framed and he was going to find out who had done it. But first, he had to make sure that Callysta was safe from whoever had done the killings.

To do that, he would have to say goodbye to her forever and give her a life barren of murder and death. 

He was going to have to get her out of the Night World.


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine ****

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

"How long is she going to _sleep_ for?" Jez Redfern asked. "She is not sleeping beauty and in my opinion, four days of eternal rest is just not necessary."

Thierry Descourdres sighed and rubbed his temple with one finger, knowing a warning of a headache when he felt it. He lowered the hand and sat back again, regarding the flame haired vampire before him.

"Let her sleep," he said. "She's been hit with a powerful spell. She needs to recover."

"Who cast that spell, Thierry?"

Thierry turned his gaze to the slim, raven-haired witch before him. She was leaning against the doorframe of his office with arms folded across her chest and the legs below her tight miniskirt were crossed at the ankles. A perfectly manicured eyebrow was raised in what he knew was not casual inquiry.

He paused. "A very powerful witch."

Blaise Harman rolled her eyes. "Really?" she drawled. "Does this witch have a name by chance? Last I heard, only one of the great witches, Thea or myself, could ever cast a spell of this strength. Who is she?"

Thierry shook his head. "I can't reveal anything Blaise," he replied firmly. "It's imperative to the girl's survival that no one knows who cast the spell."

"Does the _girl_have a name then?" Blaise demanded, frustration seeping into her usually seductive voice. "Or do we just refer to her as that? 'Girl' I mean."

Thierry sighed. "Blaise, I'm tired. Don't ask questions that I can't answer and stop searching for things that aren't there. Just keep working with Thea in healing her and keep your mouth shut. Come back if she wakes."

His tone was final and dismissing. Blaise looked over at Jez who shrugged innocently with an amused smile on her lips. The dark haired witch scowled, not liking the situation at all. 

She might have been forced to join Daybreak but now that she was confined within its ranks she made it her business to know everything about it and the fact that Thierry was stubbornly remaining tight lipped about this mysterious girls' sudden arrival bothered her.

"That was directed at you as well, Jez."

Jez' smile was instantly wiped from her face and she glared at Thierry who unfortunately, was searching through documents and didn't look up to see it.

She followed Blaise out of his office with a hiss of breath between her teeth.

She followed the witch's scantily encased form into the main room where Quinn and Ash were leaning across the pool table, aiming shots that nearly always, if not always, hit their mark.

Ash stood upright at their arrival, holding his cue in his hands and resting his chin on its end. Blaise ignored him and went straight to a bookcase that was filled with leather bound books with faded and worn covers. She pulled several from a shelf and sat on a couch, turning page upon page in the hope that the spell that had been cast upon the girl would reveal itself.

"So," Ash inquired with false politeness. "Did you get the inside story?"

Jez scowled. "No. Thierry refused to say anything. Apparently, the girl doesn't even have a name. Neither does the witch that got her here."

"Hmm," Ash mused. "How interesting."

"It's your shot," Quinn said, nodding at the pool table. He turned to Jez. "No such luck then? That's rather unfortunate." His eyes were as remote as usual and Jez knew for a fact that the only time he revealed emotion in their depths was when Rashel stood at his side.

"Rather," Jez agreed sarcastically. "Found anything?" she asked Blaise.

The witch looked up for a moment. "I will in a minute," she said confidently.

Jez knew she was lying and suspected that the answer lay in none of the books but knew that Blaise would scour threw them anyway. The witch was supremely annoyed that there might be something that she didn't know about her craft and that alone would keep her in the library for days until she found her answer.

Which was probably a good thing, Jez privately thought. None of the guys in Daybreak were off limits to Blaise, whether they had soulmates or not. Eric Ross was exempted of course. Blaise would never dare cross her cousin or risk upsetting her, which was a surprise. Jez would never have guessed that Blaise could possess even a remote thread of loyalty in her cold blood.

There was a banging of a door and Morgead walked into the room casually. His gem green eyes searched the room until he found Jez then they softened.

He threaded his way around couches until he reached her side.

She shook her head before he could ask the question she knew was coming. Did you find anything out about the girl? No, she hadn't.

"It's all a bit of a mystery isn't it," Ash puzzled. "I mean, she came here in the night while the rest of us were asleep so we don't know who brought her. She's under a spell that's unknown to us and we don't know who cast it," Blaise glared at him at the reminder but he continued unscathed, "And I swear I've seen her from somewhere but I can't place it exactly."

Quinn paused mid shot. "You got that too?" he asked. 

Ash nodded. "Do you have any idea at all who she reminds us of?"

Quinn shook his head, tossing dark hair from his eyes. "None. Do you think a spell could have been put on her to disguise her identity so we wouldn't recognise her as well?"

Ash shrugged. "Possibly. With that much magic cast on her it's no wonder she's zonked out for over four days."

"Yeah well," Morgead joined the discussion. "It's about time she came to. _Sleeping _mystery guests are so boring."

The general agreement of the room was evident. Quinn and Ash returned to their game silently, Blaise continued her search from her corner and Jez and Morgead simply sat down with nothing to do.

The peace was abruptly interrupted by Eric Ross' appearance. His honest face was bright. 

"Guys," he called, waiting for their attention. "She's awake."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She came to slowly, her eyes were slightly unfocused and it took a while before the hazy visions before her cleared into actual forms. Several faces were watching her expectantly; all of which were eerily beautiful and handsome in their own individual rights.

"She's awake!" someone cried excitedly.

"Poppy's just earned points for observation," someone else remarked sarcastically.

"Shut up, Ash," the first voice returned good-naturedly.

"Shut up both of you. We don't want her to think she's surrounded by idiots," another voice snapped.

"Perhaps you should leave then, Blaise," someone suggested.

"Shut it, Ash," the girl called Blaise replied coldly.

"Yeah."

"Good idea."

A chorus of agreement greeted the put down and the boy named Ash, with eyes that changed colour like sun on oil scowled. "Thanks for the love guys," he rolled his eyes.

"Hush."

The voice was filled with authority and the girl turned her eyes to the man that said it. His request was immediately fulfilled and silence greeted the room. The man was kneeling by her bed, watching her carefully.

"I'm Thierry," he introduced himself. "Do you know where you are?"

The girl was confused. She shook her head. "No."

He tried another tact. "Do you know who you are?"

Again she shook her head. "No."

He nodded, as if he had expected the answer and asked another question. "Do you know who brought you here?"

"No."

There was a small silence then someone spoke up. "Hey, does she speak english?"

"Since when was the word 'no' _not _english idiot?" someone replied.

"Well, it definitely sounds like the only word she knows," the first voice replied defensively. It belonged to a bouncy, petite girl with strawberry curls and a concerned expression on her face.

"She speaks english, Poppy," the man named Thierry assured the girl. "Don't you?" he addressed her with a reassuring smile.

"Yes," she replied.

"Either she's really dumb or she hasn't learnt her vocabulary list very well," someone whispered.

"I heard that," the girl said, looking directly at the speaker. The girl who had said it had red hair like her own, only lighter shades and the pale silver eyes widened in surprise for a moment.

"Sorry," she girl apologised. A dark haired boy with emerald eyes grinned and nudged the girl. 

"I'm Morgead and this is Jez," he introduced himself and the girl with a careful smile. "It's our job to give you you're new name," he continued with a grin. "What do you think of Doris?"

Jez elbowed him in the ribs and the boy winced. "Ouch!"

"Don't worry, he's joking," the red haired assured her.

"Yes, he is," Thierry agreed, drawing the girls blue violet eyes back to his own. "You're new name will be Cally."

He didn't divulge any reasons as to why she would be named thus and nobody asked. He looked around the room. "I think Cally would like to get some more rest," he said, obviously suggested they leave. The group all paused then there was a rumble of good bye, hope you feel well soon and nice meeting you.

"Their a nice group once you get to know them," Thierry grinned after the door had closed behind all of them bar one blond girl. "This is Thea," he said, nodding at the girl who smiled in reply. "She's a witch and she'll be looking after you for a bit until you get well again. I'll leave you alone for now, Cally but hopefully I'll be seeing you again soon." He smiled gently and nodded at the witch who stood patiently by Cally's bed. "Look after her Thea," he said before leaving.

"I will," Thea promised. 

Cally looked across at the girl and though the face was warm and friendly, it was not one she knew. Five seconds ago she had been surrounded by at least ten people and she had not known any of them.

She didn't know where she was.

She didn't know who she was or who she had been.

Now, she was just 'Cally'.


	10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten ****

Chapter Ten

"So what did you think?"

"I **don't** think at eight in the morning," Jez grumbled. She was still dressed in her pajama bottoms and a fitted singlet. Her lithe form bent over the kettle and her hair spilled over her head in a crimson curtain.

"Or eight at night for that matter, not to mention the other twenty four hours of the day," Ash said wickedly. He was looking very much awake and in Jez' opinion, annoyingly very alive.

Jez found the source of her problems. She reached for the electric cord triumphantly and plugged it in. Luckily, she missed Ash' mocking laughter that was quickly disguised as a cough.

Rashel sent the lamia a warning look. She was not in the mood for a verbal war at the moment and her glare projected it at Ash with feeling.

Ash rolled his eyes and opened the fridge. He was leaning into it when he asked again, "So what did you think of her?" 

Jez was eyeing Ash's behind thoughtfully. From the corner of her eye, she saw a smile creep onto Rashel's face. There was definite encouragement from that corner. 

"I thought she was okay," Rashel answered, still eyeing the situation warily. "Quiet, shy, a tad dull but okay."

"She looked like she'd been frozen in a time capsule since last century," Ash said. His voice was muffled as hands rummaged through the jars and plates of left overs that graced that Daybreak refrigerator.

Jez bit her lip. There it was, the perfect opening.

"She looked what?" Rashel questioned innocently. She nodded at Jez.

"God, what is **that**?" Ash exclaimed. He tossed a plate over his head. The remains of the dish smeared across the far wall in a mess of pasta freckled with a green that was not oregano leaves. "I said 'frozen'," he continued. "Do you know what that means Rashel?"

Jez answered for the human. "Cold is a good definition."

"Bingo!" Ash exclaimed sarcastically. "Hey, is that the left overs from Poppy's cooking? I'll just get a better look."

"We didn't ask for a commentary, Ash. This is not the morning food show and you're definitely not the host," Rashel commented wryly.

"Yeah, yeah. Hang on."

"Yeah, Ash," Jez smiled. "Hang on."

Ash was pulling back from the fridge. He managed a 'what?' before Jez landed her foot against his backside and sent him flying into the fridge. From the crash of the plates inside it and the actual fridge itself shaking precariously, it was a hard kick.

"*Ouch!*"

Rashel gave Jez a discreet nod of approval.

Ash pulled himself out of the confined of the fridge with food plastered onto his head and sauce smeared across a face filled with fury.

"What the hell was that for?" he demanded, scraping jam off his face aggressively.

"Sorry," Jez apologized, putting her wide eyed and innocent look to practice. "I just said that I don't think this early in the morning."

"Shame," Ash said softly. His eyes glared at her. "If you had paused to let a thought battle its way into your thick head, you'd have realized that I'd have to repay your favor." He leaned into the fridge again with wary eyes watching Jez carefully and pulled out a plate.

"That's for tonight, Ash," Rashel warned from her perch at the bench. She had retreated behind what she deemed as a safe distance. "Poppy will kill you."

"Poppy couldn't kill a lethargic fly," Ash dismissed. His eyes still rested on Jez. "Where would you like it old girl?"

Jez backed away slowly. "Ash, come on. Poppy made that especially for Cally."

"Cally can't even say her own name let alone recognize a meringue pie. Try the next excuse," he invited.

"Uh," Jez stumbled for words as she reached the kitchen counter and the end of the line of retreat. "Morgead will kill you."

"Morgead would kill to see this," Ash corrected. He hefted the pie lightly in the air with a considering expression. "Any last requests?"

Jez gave a resigned sigh. "Your head on a plate?"

Ash actually laughed. "No sorry. Your head in a pie."

He moved forward and with unfortunate precision, the pie landed right on Jez' face. Cream dripped down her neck and onto her chest. The plate crashed to the floor at her feet with the sound of shattering glass.

Ash leaned back and folded his arms. His expression was triumphant and he looked immensely pleased with himself.

Jez took a handful of cream from her cheek and threw it on the floor. "Oh, Jezebel," Ash gushed. "That's such an improvement."

"You can't improve perfection," Jez returned angrily. She reached for a dishtowel. Instead of using it to wipe her face, she twisted it and moved towards Ash. With a sharp flick, she hit bare arm.

Ash reached out and grabbed the towel and gave it a sharp tug. He neatly pulled it out of her grasp and threw it back on the bench.

"Play nice and play fair," he quoted. He reached forward and ran a finger along Jez' nose. A dollop of cream came away with his finger as he removed it. "Care for some cream in the coffee?" he asked Rashel.

Rashel's mouth opened and she was on her feet and moving towards the door when the cream hit her back. After years of living with Ash, she still couldn't move fast enough. 

"Okay, as an innocent bystander, I take offence to that."

"I don't believe in innocence," Ash grinned. "I just steal it."

"In your dreams, Ash," Jez mocked, laughing.

"Well, there too but you girls don't want to know details."

"You're disgusting," Jez snapped.

"This coming from someone soaked in pie?" Ash questioned. "Let's not get critical."

"Alright, that's it." Rashel headed for Ash with revenge in mind. She reached into the fridge and pulled out a handful of…something. "It's feeding time."

What began as an innocent meeting over breakfast ended as a full scaled war with any meal, vegetable or fruit (preferably both hard) used as ammunition.

~'*'~.~'*'~.~'*'~.~'*'~.~'*'~

"Oh, you're up," Thea's head peek around the door to Cally's room. The witch stepped inside hesitantly and looked around. "And your room's still clean."

"Uh, yeah," Cally replied slowly. The expression of wonder and surprise in Thea's voice was slightly confusing.

Thea's face broke into a smile. "Sorry," she apologized. "I guess you haven't seen the rest of the house yet. This would be the cleanest room I've seen for a while."

"Oh."

A slight frown marred the forehead of the older girl at Cally's obvious lack of response. Thea cleared her throat and pasted a sunny smile onto her face. "Are you hungry at all?" she inquired politely. "I can grab you something to eat."

The girl now known as Cally ducked her head in embarrassment. "What about someone to eat?" she muttered softly, recognizing the building need of her blood thirst.

Thea looked abashed. "Sorry, I forgot. I'll get some blood for you okay? Just wonder around a bit while I get things sorted." She paused with one hand on the door handle. "Will you be okay by yourself?"

Cally heard the concern and hesitancy in the witch's voice and forced a smile of reassurance on her face. She nodded confidently. "Sure, I'll be fine."

Thea paused then returned the smile. "Okay, I'll see you soon then."

The witch left the room in a haze of golden hair and grace, leaving Cally with a feeling of ineptness just at the sight. The girl pushed red gold hair behind her ears and went to her feet slowly but with gritted determination. 

Her outfit could never be considered stylish by anyone's standards and she looked down at the standard uniform of jeans and a t-shirt with surprising distaste. Maybe that was a clue, she thought to herself. Maybe before she had had some dress sense and style. 

She sighed to herself. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Maybe didn't answer any of the questions that burned inside her. Like how she had come to be here in the first place or who she'd left behind or even if she had had to leave them behind.

She shook her head, sending waves of curls around her and stepped forward boldly with a deep breath.

She opened the door and stepped into the hallway, only to come face to face with a dark haired and undeniably handsome guy with gem green eyes.

The guy looked surprised to see her and stopped abruptly. "Hi," he greeted her casually. "You're up."

She looked down at herself then back at him. "Yeah."

"We've met," the guy reminded her, "I'm Morgead. Remember?"

"Oh," she stammered. "Morgead, yeah."

Morgead's green eyes were growing slightly frustrated. "Yeah, Morgead," he agreed. He looked down the hallway with an expression of wistfulness and she knew that he would rather be down there than making small talk with her. And even she had to admit that it really was small talk.

"Do you want to come down to the kitchen?" he asked, turning back to her and shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Everyone's down there."

"Everyone?" she repeated.

Morgead looked at her with disbelief. "Yes," he replied slowly. "Ev-er-y-one."

Cally blushed and looked down. She nodded a little and Morgead must have taken that as consent because he continued down the hall, fully expecting her to follow. 

He pushed open the door and a cascade of noise hit her first. Laughter, squeals and yells of outrage invaded her senses. Then the sight of teenagers covered in food and armed with it assaulted her. 

Morgead left her to reach to the side of a girl with what looked like a meringue pie on her head. Two others were backing her into a corner until Morgead pushed past them with a dish of something in one hand and a carton of milk in the other. The girl greeted him with relieved laughter and a smile.

He yelled something at the girl above the din and was answered with a playful shove.

While she was staring with ill concealed fascination, a food covered figure appeared at her side.

He licked his finger and blanched. "Ew, that must be one of Quinn's efforts," he winced. "If only the boy were as good with a spoon as he is with a knife," he commented wistfully.

Cally looked unsure at this sudden appearance. 

"Want some?" the guy offered, holding out a finger.

Cally took one look at what he was holding out to her and shook her head. 

"Yeah, I don't blame you," the guy agreed, wiping it on his already soiled trousers. "I'm Ash," he continued. "Ash Redfern."

Redfern? The name rung a bell and for a moment she was caught in the hazy promise of a memory. Then it was lost and refused to resurface. Despair caught her in the throat and she turned away. 

"I'd shake your hand but you look the type to get offended," Ash continued in rambling, distracted sort of way. His eyes were viewing the mass before them with studied precaution.

Cally wasn't really listening. Her body was screaming at her, her veins were burning and demanding blood. Her head throbbed and her senses were ridden with need. 

"Whoa," Ash looked down at her in surprise. "They haven't fed you? I can feel your thirst from here. Urgh, I hate that."

Cally was one step from apologizing before Ash stopped her. "Come with me and I'll fix you up. In the process I might get to earn a favor from someone as well so we'll both win."

He cast one regretful look at the mess behind him before sighing and leading her out of the kitchen. He checked behind him once to make sure she was still following as he led her down a hallway or two until they reached a closed door.

"Knock, knock," he announced as he burst in.

A dark haired girl looked up through narrowed eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you -"

Ash cut her off with a charming smile. "Ah, but today I've brought a surprise."

The girl was not impressed. "If it's another heartfelt tune about my black heart or even worse, a rendition of 'the day and the hour and the minute I met Mary-Lynette' then get out now."

"Tut tut, Blaise," Ash scolded. "You know how much time I put into those."

The girl he called Blaise glared at the vampire with distaste. "This had better be good," she warned.

"As good as my Mary-Lynette," Ash promised.

"You're making me sick."

Ash rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah," he dismissed with a wave of his hand. "You can say thank you after you see it," he decided. He turned around and without a warning, grabbed Cally's wrist and pulled her forward.

"Here you go dearest cousin," he smiled. "The girl needs a drink and we're not talking alcoholic here."

Blaise's eyes widened and the book in her lap was snapped shut with a loud bang as she went to her feet. "You!" she said. "Just who I need to see."

Ash looked smug. "Like the surprise?"

Blaise cast a swift glance at the lamia. "Yeah, I do actually. That's a first." Her eyes turned down to his clothes in disbelief. "Why do you look like a walking dinner table?" she asked, frowning. "You're wearing last nights entrée, dinner and desert in one."

Ash looked down as if he had just remembered his slightly crazed ensemble.

"Food fight in the kitchen," he explained.

Blaise looked unmoved. "We may look like humans, Ash, but we should never try to act like them."

Ash rolled his eyes and smirked. "Staying true to the end even now?" he asked silkily. "I don't know why you're here and not there."

Cally didn't ask where 'there' was but she definitely wondered when a strange mix of emotions passed Blaise's eyes.

For once, the girls face was almost calm. "I owe Thea," she reminded Ash softly. "And you should be grateful that I am here and not there."

Ash looked at the girl for a long moment and then glanced at Cally who was still standing silent and unobtrusive by the corner. He returned to Blaise's face with a calm look on his face.

"Make sure you cover your tracks," he instructed firmly.

A twitch of a smile touched Blaise's lips. "Always," she replied.

Then Ash left and Cally was left with this girl and her artic gaze. 

"You're hungry?" Blaise inquired gently.

Cally nodded reluctantly. Her eyes went to the pulse at Blaise's neck and its promise of blood.

Blaise saw the look and smiled to herself. She stepped forward and offered her neck until Cally hesitantly leaned down. Slowly and inch by inch she drifted closer to Blaise's neck until suddenly, Blaise wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and pushed her down, sinking her teeth into the flesh at her neck.

The blood swam down Cally's throat and the relief was almost too much. She grew stronger and the sensation and taste of it was so warm and welcome she felt herself relax.

This was not however to last. Suddenly, she felt a mental punch. It hurt.

__

What are you doing? She asked in a voice filled with fear.

Blaise's mind invaded her own roughly and determinedly. _I'm trying to find out who you are, girlie, and who the hell cast this little spell of yours._

Cally felt another blow and winced in pain. She tried to pull back, to pull away from the other girl but that arm around her neck held her fast so that her fangs remained buried inside Blaise's flesh.

Blaise was trying to get into her mind. She was trying to smash through her mental wall with a brutality that hurt with every blow.

__

Stop it!

Just lower the barriers, Blaise demanded. _You want to know who you are as much as I do._

Stop it! Cally repeated.

She felt Blaise wince at the volume of her mental voice. Then she winced as the witch directed another mental punch into her mind. Darkness enveloped her for a second and she struggled for consciousness.

"BLAISE HARMAN, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

Suddenly, Cally was being released and she was pushed to the floor where she landed in a tangle of confused limbs.

Then Thierry was storming into the room. A wave of authority and surpressed rage surrounded him and he directed all of it at the proud figure of Blaise Harman.

"Cally get out!" he demanded, pointing a finger outside. "Now!"

The girl struggled to her feet and slowly made her way out of the room. Her head was aching and her legs were reluctant but she made it. The door slammed behind her and she was left in an empty hallway.


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten ****

Chapter Ten

"So what did you think?"

"I **don't** think at eight in the morning," Jez grumbled. She was still dressed in her pajama bottoms and a fitted singlet. Her lithe form bent over the kettle and her hair spilled over her head in a crimson curtain.

"Or eight at night for that matter, not to mention the other twenty four hours of the day," Ash said wickedly. He was looking very much awake and in Jez' opinion, annoyingly very alive.

Jez found the source of her problems. She reached for the electric cord triumphantly and plugged it in. Luckily, she missed Ash' mocking laughter that was quickly disguised as a cough.

Rashel sent the lamia a warning look. She was not in the mood for a verbal war at the moment and her glare projected it at Ash with feeling.

Ash rolled his eyes and opened the fridge. He was leaning into it when he asked again, "So what did you think of her?" 

Jez was eyeing Ash's behind thoughtfully. From the corner of her eye, she saw a smile creep onto Rashel's face. There was definite encouragement from that corner. 

"I thought she was okay," Rashel answered, still eyeing the situation warily. "Quiet, shy, a tad dull but okay."

"She looked like she'd been frozen in a time capsule since last century," Ash said. His voice was muffled as hands rummaged through the jars and plates of left overs that graced that Daybreak refrigerator.

Jez bit her lip. There it was, the perfect opening.

"She looked what?" Rashel questioned innocently. She nodded at Jez.

"God, what is **that**?" Ash exclaimed. He tossed a plate over his head. The remains of the dish smeared across the far wall in a mess of pasta freckled with a green that was not oregano leaves. "I said 'frozen'," he continued. "Do you know what that means Rashel?"

Jez answered for the human. "Cold is a good definition."

"Bingo!" Ash exclaimed sarcastically. "Hey, is that the left overs from Poppy's cooking? I'll just get a better look."

"We didn't ask for a commentary, Ash. This is not the morning food show and you're definitely not the host," Rashel commented wryly.

"Yeah, yeah. Hang on."

"Yeah, Ash," Jez smiled. "Hang on."

Ash was pulling back from the fridge. He managed a 'what?' before Jez landed her foot against his backside and sent him flying into the fridge. From the crash of the plates inside it and the actual fridge itself shaking precariously, it was a hard kick.

"*Ouch!*"

Rashel gave Jez a discreet nod of approval.

Ash pulled himself out of the confined of the fridge with food plastered onto his head and sauce smeared across a face filled with fury.

"What the hell was that for?" he demanded, scraping jam off his face aggressively.

"Sorry," Jez apologized, putting her wide eyed and innocent look to practice. "I just said that I don't think this early in the morning."

"Shame," Ash said softly. His eyes glared at her. "If you had paused to let a thought battle its way into your thick head, you'd have realized that I'd have to repay your favor." He leaned into the fridge again with wary eyes watching Jez carefully and pulled out a plate.

"That's for tonight, Ash," Rashel warned from her perch at the bench. She had retreated behind what she deemed as a safe distance. "Poppy will kill you."

"Poppy couldn't kill a lethargic fly," Ash dismissed. His eyes still rested on Jez. "Where would you like it old girl?"

Jez backed away slowly. "Ash, come on. Poppy made that especially for Cally."

"Cally can't even say her own name let alone recognize a meringue pie. Try the next excuse," he invited.

"Uh," Jez stumbled for words as she reached the kitchen counter and the end of the line of retreat. "Morgead will kill you."

"Morgead would kill to see this," Ash corrected. He hefted the pie lightly in the air with a considering expression. "Any last requests?"

Jez gave a resigned sigh. "Your head on a plate?"

Ash actually laughed. "No sorry. Your head in a pie."

He moved forward and with unfortunate precision, the pie landed right on Jez' face. Cream dripped down her neck and onto her chest. The plate crashed to the floor at her feet with the sound of shattering glass.

Ash leaned back and folded his arms. His expression was triumphant and he looked immensely pleased with himself.

Jez took a handful of cream from her cheek and threw it on the floor. "Oh, Jezebel," Ash gushed. "That's such an improvement."

"You can't improve perfection," Jez returned angrily. She reached for a dishtowel. Instead of using it to wipe her face, she twisted it and moved towards Ash. With a sharp flick, she hit bare arm.

Ash reached out and grabbed the towel and gave it a sharp tug. He neatly pulled it out of her grasp and threw it back on the bench.

"Play nice and play fair," he quoted. He reached forward and ran a finger along Jez' nose. A dollop of cream came away with his finger as he removed it. "Care for some cream in the coffee?" he asked Rashel.

Rashel's mouth opened and she was on her feet and moving towards the door when the cream hit her back. After years of living with Ash, she still couldn't move fast enough. 

"Okay, as an innocent bystander, I take offence to that."

"I don't believe in innocence," Ash grinned. "I just steal it."

"In your dreams, Ash," Jez mocked, laughing.

"Well, there too but you girls don't want to know details."

"You're disgusting," Jez snapped.

"This coming from someone soaked in pie?" Ash questioned. "Let's not get critical."

"Alright, that's it." Rashel headed for Ash with revenge in mind. She reached into the fridge and pulled out a handful of…something. "It's feeding time."

What began as an innocent meeting over breakfast ended as a full scaled war with any meal, vegetable or fruit (preferably both hard) used as ammunition.

~'*'~.~'*'~.~'*'~.~'*'~.~'*'~

"Oh, you're up," Thea's head peek around the door to Cally's room. The witch stepped inside hesitantly and looked around. "And your room's still clean."

"Uh, yeah," Cally replied slowly. The expression of wonder and surprise in Thea's voice was slightly confusing.

Thea's face broke into a smile. "Sorry," she apologized. "I guess you haven't seen the rest of the house yet. This would be the cleanest room I've seen for a while."

"Oh."

A slight frown marred the forehead of the older girl at Cally's obvious lack of response. Thea cleared her throat and pasted a sunny smile onto her face. "Are you hungry at all?" she inquired politely. "I can grab you something to eat."

The girl now known as Cally ducked her head in embarrassment. "What about someone to eat?" she muttered softly, recognizing the building need of her blood thirst.

Thea looked abashed. "Sorry, I forgot. I'll get some blood for you okay? Just wonder around a bit while I get things sorted." She paused with one hand on the door handle. "Will you be okay by yourself?"

Cally heard the concern and hesitancy in the witch's voice and forced a smile of reassurance on her face. She nodded confidently. "Sure, I'll be fine."

Thea paused then returned the smile. "Okay, I'll see you soon then."

The witch left the room in a haze of golden hair and grace, leaving Cally with a feeling of ineptness just at the sight. The girl pushed red gold hair behind her ears and went to her feet slowly but with gritted determination. 

Her outfit could never be considered stylish by anyone's standards and she looked down at the standard uniform of jeans and a t-shirt with surprising distaste. Maybe that was a clue, she thought to herself. Maybe before she had had some dress sense and style. 

She sighed to herself. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Maybe didn't answer any of the questions that burned inside her. Like how she had come to be here in the first place or who she'd left behind or even if she had had to leave them behind.

She shook her head, sending waves of curls around her and stepped forward boldly with a deep breath.

She opened the door and stepped into the hallway, only to come face to face with a dark haired and undeniably handsome guy with gem green eyes.

The guy looked surprised to see her and stopped abruptly. "Hi," he greeted her casually. "You're up."

She looked down at herself then back at him. "Yeah."

"We've met," the guy reminded her, "I'm Morgead. Remember?"

"Oh," she stammered. "Morgead, yeah."

Morgead's green eyes were growing slightly frustrated. "Yeah, Morgead," he agreed. He looked down the hallway with an expression of wistfulness and she knew that he would rather be down there than making small talk with her. And even she had to admit that it really was small talk.

"Do you want to come down to the kitchen?" he asked, turning back to her and shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Everyone's down there."

"Everyone?" she repeated.

Morgead looked at her with disbelief. "Yes," he replied slowly. "Ev-er-y-one."

Cally blushed and looked down. She nodded a little and Morgead must have taken that as consent because he continued down the hall, fully expecting her to follow. 

He pushed open the door and a cascade of noise hit her first. Laughter, squeals and yells of outrage invaded her senses. Then the sight of teenagers covered in food and armed with it assaulted her. 

Morgead left her to reach to the side of a girl with what looked like a meringue pie on her head. Two others were backing her into a corner until Morgead pushed past them with a dish of something in one hand and a carton of milk in the other. The girl greeted him with relieved laughter and a smile.

He yelled something at the girl above the din and was answered with a playful shove.

While she was staring with ill concealed fascination, a food covered figure appeared at her side.

He licked his finger and blanched. "Ew, that must be one of Quinn's efforts," he winced. "If only the boy were as good with a spoon as he is with a knife," he commented wistfully.

Cally looked unsure at this sudden appearance. 

"Want some?" the guy offered, holding out a finger.

Cally took one look at what he was holding out to her and shook her head. 

"Yeah, I don't blame you," the guy agreed, wiping it on his already soiled trousers. "I'm Ash," he continued. "Ash Redfern."

Redfern? The name rung a bell and for a moment she was caught in the hazy promise of a memory. Then it was lost and refused to resurface. Despair caught her in the throat and she turned away. 

"I'd shake your hand but you look the type to get offended," Ash continued in rambling, distracted sort of way. His eyes were viewing the mass before them with studied precaution.

Cally wasn't really listening. Her body was screaming at her, her veins were burning and demanding blood. Her head throbbed and her senses were ridden with need. 

"Whoa," Ash looked down at her in surprise. "They haven't fed you? I can feel your thirst from here. Urgh, I hate that."

Cally was one step from apologizing before Ash stopped her. "Come with me and I'll fix you up. In the process I might get to earn a favor from someone as well so we'll both win."

He cast one regretful look at the mess behind him before sighing and leading her out of the kitchen. He checked behind him once to make sure she was still following as he led her down a hallway or two until they reached a closed door.

"Knock, knock," he announced as he burst in.

A dark haired girl looked up through narrowed eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you -"

Ash cut her off with a charming smile. "Ah, but today I've brought a surprise."

The girl was not impressed. "If it's another heartfelt tune about my black heart or even worse, a rendition of 'the day and the hour and the minute I met Mary-Lynette' then get out now."

"Tut tut, Blaise," Ash scolded. "You know how much time I put into those."

The girl he called Blaise glared at the vampire with distaste. "This had better be good," she warned.

"As good as my Mary-Lynette," Ash promised.

"You're making me sick."

Ash rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah," he dismissed with a wave of his hand. "You can say thank you after you see it," he decided. He turned around and without a warning, grabbed Cally's wrist and pulled her forward.

"Here you go dearest cousin," he smiled. "The girl needs a drink and we're not talking alcoholic here."

Blaise's eyes widened and the book in her lap was snapped shut with a loud bang as she went to her feet. "You!" she said. "Just who I need to see."

Ash looked smug. "Like the surprise?"

Blaise cast a swift glance at the lamia. "Yeah, I do actually. That's a first." Her eyes turned down to his clothes in disbelief. "Why do you look like a walking dinner table?" she asked, frowning. "You're wearing last nights entrée, dinner and desert in one."

Ash looked down as if he had just remembered his slightly crazed ensemble.

"Food fight in the kitchen," he explained.

Blaise looked unmoved. "We may look like humans, Ash, but we should never try to act like them."

Ash rolled his eyes and smirked. "Staying true to the end even now?" he asked silkily. "I don't know why you're here and not there."

Cally didn't ask where 'there' was but she definitely wondered when a strange mix of emotions passed Blaise's eyes.

For once, the girls face was almost calm. "I owe Thea," she reminded Ash softly. "And you should be grateful that I am here and not there."

Ash looked at the girl for a long moment and then glanced at Cally who was still standing silent and unobtrusive by the corner. He returned to Blaise's face with a calm look on his face.

"Make sure you cover your tracks," he instructed firmly.

A twitch of a smile touched Blaise's lips. "Always," she replied.

Then Ash left and Cally was left with this girl and her artic gaze. 

"You're hungry?" Blaise inquired gently.

Cally nodded reluctantly. Her eyes went to the pulse at Blaise's neck and its promise of blood.

Blaise saw the look and smiled to herself. She stepped forward and offered her neck until Cally hesitantly leaned down. Slowly and inch by inch she drifted closer to Blaise's neck until suddenly, Blaise wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and pushed her down, sinking her teeth into the flesh at her neck.

The blood swam down Cally's throat and the relief was almost too much. She grew stronger and the sensation and taste of it was so warm and welcome she felt herself relax.

This was not however to last. Suddenly, she felt a mental punch. It hurt.

__

What are you doing? She asked in a voice filled with fear.

Blaise's mind invaded her own roughly and determinedly. _I'm trying to find out who you are, girlie, and who the hell cast this little spell of yours._

Cally felt another blow and winced in pain. She tried to pull back, to pull away from the other girl but that arm around her neck held her fast so that her fangs remained buried inside Blaise's flesh.

Blaise was trying to get into her mind. She was trying to smash through her mental wall with a brutality that hurt with every blow.

__

Stop it!

Just lower the barriers, Blaise demanded. _You want to know who you are as much as I do._

Stop it! Cally repeated.

She felt Blaise wince at the volume of her mental voice. Then she winced as the witch directed another mental punch into her mind. Darkness enveloped her for a second and she struggled for consciousness.

"BLAISE HARMAN, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

Suddenly, Cally was being released and she was pushed to the floor where she landed in a tangle of confused limbs.

Then Thierry was storming into the room. A wave of authority and surpressed rage surrounded him and he directed all of it at the proud figure of Blaise Harman.

"Cally get out!" he demanded, pointing a finger outside. "Now!"

The girl struggled to her feet and slowly made her way out of the room. Her head was aching and her legs were reluctant but she made it. The door slammed behind her and she was left in an empty hallway.


	12. Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven ****

Chapter Eleven

It was the next day and Thea and Poppy had decided to take Cally out shopping in an effort to erase the less than welcoming memory of Blaise's attack.

Thea had apologized profusely on her cousin's behalf but Blaise had remained studiously tight- lipped since the encounter. Cally got the feeling that she had been more than reprimanded by Thierry already.

Poppy and Thea were trying clothes on in a trendy boutique while Cally waited outside the dressing rooms patiently. They had both tried to persuade her to try something on but she had refused. Shopping at the moment failed to interest her in the slightest.

"What do you think?" Thea emerged in a green silk dress and white top that clung to her figure and brought out her twinkling eyes. She did an experimental spin in it and laughed at herself.

"It looks nice," Cally managed.

"Nice?" Thea repeated. She wrinkled her nose and turned to look at her reflection in the mirror. "What do you think Poppy?" she called.

Poppy's dressing room curtain twitched and the petite vampire appeared in another creation. She studied Thea's outfit and nodded. "Get it, it looks great," she said.

Thea grinned and checked the price tag. "I think I will."

Poppy looked up at Cally and frowned slightly. "Listen, you're obviously bored out of your mind," she apologized, trading a look with Thea. "Why don't you go for a wander and meet us back here in fifteen minutes or so? That'll be okay won't it Thea?" She checked.

Thea nodded distractedly as she twirled in front of the mirror. "Yeah, just be careful," she instructed. 

Cally smiled and nodded. It would be a relief to leave the two; nice as they both were, for some time by herself. She waved at them and left the shop and the sunlight shone down on her with welcoming warmth.

She still hadn't spoken of Blaise's attack and she tried not to think about it. Everyone else had been so nice that she didn't see the point in causing any more trouble by making a big deal out of it. Instead, she decided to enjoy her time alone and went down the street to look at the displays in the shop windows.

For some reason she stopped outside a CD store. The bright posters advertising new albums were everywhere and music streamed from speakers around the store.

She stepped inside and looked around at the shelves cased with CDs and albums. She fingered a cover hesitantly and turned it over in her hand.

"Tool," a voice said behind her. "They're one of my fave's."

Cally swung around in surprise, nearly dropping the CD. She met a pair of blue eyes head on and felt a rush of familiarity. The girl regarded her carefully. 

"Do you like them?"

Cally felt troubled slightly. "I don't really know," she admitted.

A look passed the girl's face. At first glance it looked like relief but Cally knew she must be wrong. A smile touched the other girl's lips as she looked at Cally. "My name's Jasmine," she introduced herself.

"I'm Cally," Cally returned with a small smile. 

The girl gave her a strange quizzical smile. "Cally?" she repeated.

"Um, yeah," Cally replied uncertainly.

"You're new in town?"

"Very new," Cally smiled. She liked this girl. Her face, her eyes especially, reminded her of something and she wanted to stay with her to see if the reason behind the familiarity would reveal itself.

"Come on," Jasmine invited with a gleam in her eye. "Let's go for some coffee. I just got into town but I know this awesome little café down the street a bit."

"Sure, that'd be great," Cally agreed, determined to find out who this girl was and if she was anything to her. To the old her anyway.

They walked together in a comfortable silence until they reached the coffeehouse and Jasmine ordered and led Cally to a table. They sat opposite one another and Cally got the uncanny feeling that she was being studied for something.

"So, where did you come from?" Jasmine asked politely. She leaned forward on the table eagerly. "Before you got here I mean."

"I'm not sure," Cally admitted. "I'm at a loss about where I was before now so I really couldn't say."

"Really?" Jasmine smiled and this time the smile was not warm, it was cool and calculating. "How intriguing."

Cally shifted with discomfort. "Not really," she contradicted uneasily.

"So you don't remember anything?" Jasmine persisted.

"Nothing," Cally admitted. She wasn't sure where the conversation was going and Jasmine's obvious interest in her was unnerving.

"How unfortunate for you," Jasmine sympathized. "You don't know who you are, I think that's terrible. For all you know, you could have been some great rock star or something." Then she laughed and the laughter was almost malicious.

Cally remained silent.

"Maybe you were one of the rich and famous," the blond girl continued and again she laughed.

"Maybe," Cally conceded reluctantly. 

"Maybe you were in love with some big hunk or something," Jasmine went on, clearly enjoying herself. "Maybe he left you or he did something horrible and you were forced to run away from him."

The girl's behavior was now really making Cally nervous. All these scenarios were just that yet with every word the other girl uttered, a feeling of _knowingness _encased Cally and she didn't really like it.

"Why are you here?" she asked Jasmine politely, trying to steer the conversation away from herself. 

Jasmine paused and her eyes flickered up to Cally's face with a look of weariness in them. "I had to sort some stuff out," she dismissed airily. "But I get the feeling that everything has already sorted itself anyway."

"Oh," was all Cally had to say.

"Oh, it's a relief," Jasmine smiled. "I thought some people might be making trouble for me but it seems I have nothing to worry about. Everything's going to be fine." Her last sentence was said as if to reassure herself and it held a tone of finality.

"I see," Cally replied. She smiled reassuringly. "That's great for you then."

Jasmine's eyes looked amused and her lips twisted in a strange smile. "For me? Yes." She agreed.

A movement at the door to the coffee shop distracted Cally for a moment and her eyes lifted to see Thea and Poppy entering. The two girls scanned the occupied tables before they found Cally, who lifted a hand in the air to welcome them.

Poppy smiled and walked over to them but Thea remained behind, staring.

"Hey!" Poppy greeted them. "You needed a coffee fix too?" she asked.

Cally smiled and nodded. "Poppy this is Jasmine," she introduced them. "We just met."

"Oh, that's great!" Poppy beamed. 

She turned around at Thea's approach behind them. The witch's normally serene and warm face was now blank and set. Thea's eyes bore into Jasmine's with a look that Cally couldn't hope to fathom.

Jasmine's eyes widened in surprise and could it be that a touch of fear flicked through their depths? Cally dismissed it as imagination and introduced the two.

Thea nodded her head then turned to Cally. "Cally, we have to go now. Thierry wants us back at the mansion."

"He does?" Cally asked in surprise. 

"Yes, he just called my mobile," Thea confirmed with another side-glance at Jasmine.

"Did he?" Poppy looked confused. "I didn't hear it."

"You were getting changed," Thea snapped, her voice clipped and authoritative. Poppy was not that only one to look surprised. Cally had never seen Thea like this in the small time that she'd known her.

"Okay, then Thea," Cally conceded slowly. "We'd better go then."

"Thea Harman?" Jasmine inquired silkily into the silence. Her eyes held aloof interest as they stared into Thea's face.

"Yes," Thea admitted. Her voice was frosty.

"Interesting," Jasmine mused. "Blaise Harman's cousin I assume?"

"Correct," Thea snapped, then turned to Cally again. "We really do have to go."

Cally looked to Jasmine and smiled. "I'm sorry I can't stay but maybe we could meet up again and finish our coffees then."

Jasmine was staring at Thea with a cold look in her eyes then slowly, she turned back to Cally with a smile. "I'd like that," she said. 

"Here's my number," Cally said, reaching into her back pocket but Thea stopped her with a hold on her wrist.

"Perhaps Jasmine could give you her number," she suggested suddenly.

Cally looked surprised, as did Poppy. Jasmine looked mildly amused. She eyed Thea for a moment before turning back to Cally. "I'll get hold of you don't worry," she assured her. "I'd better get going too. You know," she glanced at Thea again. "Places to go, people to see and all that."

"I'm sure," Thea replied coolly. "Come on Cally."

Cally pushed her chair back and followed the two girls outside with one last look back at Jasmine. The blond girl was also on her feet. Her eyes were slightly cold as she watched them leave and at Cally's backward look, she wriggled her fingers in a farewell wave.

"Let's get to the car," Thea snapped. "Now."

Poppy and Cally exchanged confused looks but followed the witch without argument. Thea's driving on the way home was slightly erratic but no one dared to comment. When they reached the mansion, the witch left both of them immediately and made her way to Thierry's office.

Poppy stood in the hall with Cally.

"Did you have a good time?" she ventured finally.

Cally stared at Thea's retreating figure. "Yeah," she replied distractedly. "It was great. Thanks."

.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.

"I thought you were out shopping with Cally and Poppy?" Thierry asked, looking up from his paperwork with surprise. He saw the expression on Thea's face and frowned, automatically lowering his pen to give her his full attention.

"We found trouble along the way," Thea stated bluntly, her eyes worried.

"Trouble?" Thierry repeated, visibly tensing.

"In the form of Jasmine Abilene," Thea continued.

"*What?*" Thierry cried in disbelief. "Jasmine Abilene? Damn!" He banged a fist on his desk with frustration and an expression of anger. "What was she doing?"

Thea looked shame faced as she admitted, "We let Cally go for a walk on her own for a bit," she explained. Thierry sighed to himself and she rushed on, "She was bored and she looked like she could do with some time by herself. It was only meant to be fifteen minutes."

"Obviously a lot can happen in fifteen minutes," Thierry commented shrewdly.

"She must have found Cally and she offered to take her out for coffee. That's where Poppy and I found them and as soon as I got there I made Cally leave but-"

"You don't know exactly how much Jasmine managed to reveal to her," Thierry finished. He sighed again and leaned back into his chair tiredly. "Fortunately, I doubt it would be in Jasmine's best interests to reveal anything to Cally. Unfortunately, why exactly Jasmine wanted to hunt her out is another problem and of course, she'll now know where Cally's staying."

"She knew who I was and she remembered Blaise," Thea looked troubled. She was still clutching her shopping bags in her trembling hands and quickly dropped them with an expression of disgust. Perhaps if she hadn't been so eager to buy new clothes none of this would have happened.

"What are we going to do?"

Thierry shrugged. "There's not much we can do. At least you got her out of there fast," he conceded, giving Thea room to hope. "Just don't mention this to anyone okay? Especially not your cousin."

"Blaise would be the last person I would talk to about this," Thea said truthfully.

"Hmm," was Thierry's noncommittal reply. "Thanks for telling me about this straight away Thea." 

The witch heard the dismissal in her boss' voice and made a quick exit, almost forgetting her shopping bags in her haste. After the door clicked to a permanent close, Thierry got up and locked it, checking to make sure it wouldn't open.

Then he went back to his desk and unlocked his desk drawer, pulling out a small black book. He scanned the names in there until he found the one he wanted and dialed it.

After three rings it was answered. "Brooks."

Thierry hesitated. "Uh, yes," he began. "Brooks, it's-"

"I know who it is."

Even Brooks' voice was filled with authority and threat. Thierry almost smiled to himself, remembering the days when he had been like that and when…but that wasn't the point. The elder shook himself back to reality hastily.

"What's the problem Elder Thierry?" Brooks asked. His tone was slightly mocking but only slightly so Thierry let it go.

"It appears we're encountering some trouble here," he began. There was quick intake of breath from the other end of the line that Thierry was forced to ignore. "I wasn't going to tell you the first one but it seems that Blaise Harman has taken a particular dislike to Callysta."

"Why?" Brooks demanded. "She shouldn't be able to recognize her with the spell still intact."

"Blaise is very powerful," Thierry reminded the vampire. "She senses that something is up and whether it is just instinct that reminds her of her dislike for the old Callysta I couldn't really say."

"Then keep them away from each other," Brooks snapped. "Simple."

"Ah, yes," Thierry replied hesitantly. "We are trying that at the moment but this is after one attack."

"An attack?" Brooks's voice repeated in tones of surpressed anger. "She _attacked _Callysta?"

"Don't worry," Thierry reassured. "She didn't find anything out."

There was a silence from the other end. "I'm going to catch the next flight over there."

Thierry relaxed minutely with relief. "I would recommend that but not because of Blaise." He paused. "Jasmine Abilene is in town and she's already found Callysta. They went out for coffee today."

"And Callysta didn't recognize her at all?" Brooks sounded worried and almost scared. "Is she okay? She didn't get hurt or anything?"

"They had coffee Brooks," Thierry repeated, rolling his eyes.

"*Is she okay?*" Brooks yelled down the phone. Thierry pulled the earpiece away from himself with a wince.

"Yes, she is okay." Thierry was growing tired of the protective boyfriend charade. "Jasmine didn't say anything to clue her in on her real identity."

"How the hell did Jasmine get close enough to say 'hello'?" Brooks snapped angrily. "I sent her there to be protected from the bitch and you let her waltz in with an offer for coffee? Daybreak must be a bloody mess if this is the way you handle things."

It was a struggle not to take personal offence to that and the only thing that held Thierry back was that he knew that Brooks wasn't really angry, he was scared. Scared that something would happen to Callysta, his soulmate.

"Your spells still intact," Thierry reassured him. "And no one knows that it was you that cast it."

"It had better stay that way, Thierry," Brooks warned in harsh tones of promise. "If it gets out that I'm a half breed then my career is over. Do you think the Night World want some half cast to do their business for them? No. They'd rather make business from the bounty on my witch slash vampire head."

Thierry decided it was now time to change the subject and he did so tactfully. "What time do you think you'll get here?"

Brooks' breath hissed down the phone. "As soon as I damn well can."

"Good," Thierry said pleasantly. "I trust you'll call me when you land."

"I'll call you but that's where my trust in you ends. You're running along a thin line Thierry Descourdes. If anything happens to Callysta before I get there, I'll have your blood in a drip."

"Cally," Thierry corrected.

"Cally?" Brooks repeated, for once caught off guard.

"That's her new name here," Thierry explained. "That's what you have to call her when you see her."

"Uh no." Brooks stated. "I'm not seeing her. I can't see her. If I see her the spell will break and everything will come back and we'll be back to where we started."

"Like Cinderella," Thierry smiled to himself.

There was a disbelieving silence before Brooks finally said, "I can't believe I left her with Daybreak." Then he hung up and Thierry was left holding the phone with an amused smile on his face.

He knew that Brooks would get there in record time and Jasmine Abilene would then be in serious trouble. She had messed with the wrong girl and when that same girl had a soulmate like Brooks, fate was not going to be kind.

__

I would love any sort of feedback you guys have to offer so please please please R/R!! And for those that are interested, I'm still working on Outcasts and some new chaps will be coming up soon…I hope. J 


	13. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve ****

Chapter Twelve

It was nearly evening by the time Thierry got his expected call from Jude Brooks, or Brooks, as he was better known. Brook's voice was clipped and strained over the line and Thierry quickly made an appointment to see him.

At about eight o'clock that night Thierry and Thea found themselves sitting in a dark coffee house amidst the ranging over head lights and the eerie music that surrounded them.

Thea was sitting rather stiffly in a chair nursing a cup while Thierry lounged back in a relaxed and controlled style while he took in his surroundings.

"What's he like?" Thea asked curiously. "I hear he's one of the best Night World agents around. Are you sure we should be working with him like this?"

Thierry turned his head to look at the witch with a smile on his face. He shook his head. "We're not risking anything while Callysta is within our walls. Brooks may be deadly but with his soulmate in our hands, his are tied."

Thea shrugged her shoulders elegantly. "I suppose so," she conceded. She turned her glass with one lazy finger on the table. Her hazel eyes wandered across the room absently and she turned her head around to get a better view.

When she looked back, her eyes came in contact with another pair that were glacial in their warmth and were attached to a handsome head that was attached to an equally handsome body. 

"I suppose it's too much to ask you to keep your psychotic cousin away from my girl," he drawled darkly. His eyes were hooded and his arms were folded across his chest casually. He had literally appeared out of nowhere.

Thea's mouth dropped open.

"Brooks," Thierry greeted him. "How are you?" 

Brook's eyes flickered to the elder briefly. "Jet lagged, hungry and seriously doubting your competence. And you?"

"Good, thank you for asking."

Thierry traded a glance with the witch at his side that Brooks didn't fail to miss. He eyed both of them suspiciously before he straightened his back and leaned forward onto the table. 

"Can we get down to business?" he asked with raised eyebrows. "I didn't come all the way over here to trade second rate pleasantries. I came to find out how Callysta is."

"She's fine," Thierry assured him.

Brooks' eyes turned to Thea and bore into her, demanding a better answer than Thierry's. "She's a little confused maybe and she seems a lot quieter and more subdued than I remember but she's fine," Thea mumbled, angry with herself for falling into his trap.

Brooks nodded, accepting that. He turned to Thierry. "Could you get me a drink old man? I'm a bit parched." Thierry looked surprised and traded a look with Thea who only shrugged. Then he forced a smile and went to his feet. 

"Of course, I'll just be a moment."

Brooks inclined his head politely then leaned towards Thea. "Okay you," he whispered intently, his eyes burning with impatience and concern. "Tell me how she really is. Is she loud, snappish, outspoken and incredibly annoying? Does she still have that habit of biting her lip when she's angry? Is her hair still the same?" he took a breath. "God, is it still long? I loved her hair. She hasn't cut it has she? No, she wouldn't do that," he dismissed. "Was she terribly upset at all at seeing Jasmine? Does she want to see her again?" Then abruptly, he finished. He leaned back and his shoulders went from eagerly leaning forward to tense and restrained.

He looked away from Thea again and his eyes went flat and dead. Then he looked back at her and the look in his eyes as he asked her one question, such a simply question as well, that it almost took her breath away.

"Is she happy, Harman?"

Thea swallowed hard. First impressions don't always last, she decided. At first glance she had ruled Jude Brooks off as a macho, typically cold Night Worlder but in the last minute alone she had been faced with another side of him that completely surprised. It was a side that was wrapped up completely and devoted entirely to Callysta Abilene, the lost little girl with the lost memory.

"She's not 'happy', Brooks," Thea said slowly, carefully and without looking into his eyes. "She's…content maybe," she considered. "And she hasn't cut her hair so don't worry and she wasn't upset at seeing Jasmine and to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if they saw each other again." Thea took a breath. "Why don't you go and see her?"

The lamia's eyes flared briefly before dying again to small embers of lost hope. He shook his head. "I don't want to risk bringing her memory back," he explained abruptly. "Or else I would be there right now." He shrugged in a gesture of carelessness that she knew was a lie.

"I'll be keeping an eye on her," he said suddenly. "I plan on making sure that Jasmine doesn't breath the same air as her let alone stand in the same room. But I need you to look after her inside the mansion, especially around Blaise."

Thea nodded seriously. "I'll do my best, I promise. I should have looked after her better last time as well."

"You had better make sure there isn't a next time then because you might find yourself without a cousin to look out for." His threat was said softly and with dangerous intent. Then he smiled. "But I doubt it will come to that, Harman," he assured her coldly. "I almost get the feeling I can trust you." Then he laughed softly to himself. "Almost."

He pushed his chair back suddenly and she jumped. "Don't you want your drink?"

Brooks looked over at the bar where Thierry was briefly before shrugging his shoulders again. "I'll get one outside," he said with a grin and she knew what he was implying. Then he turned and was enveloped into the darkness beyond her. He left in his wake a blast of cold air that sent a shiver down her spine.

It was strange, but she had an idea that that was the kind of guy the old Callysta Abilene would have been perfect for. The two of them would love and hate each other with passions of equal strengths and Thea sensed that in the brief time they had had together, it had been filled with promise.

"So what did he want to talk to you about?"

Thea turned softly and saw Thierry looking down at her, still holding a drink in either hand. She smiled apologetically. "He just wanted to know more about Callysta," she promised faithfully. "And he said that he'd be looking out for her from now on."

A smile lit the elder's face. "Really? That must mean he's planning on staying in town then. How delightful."

Thea nodded politely. If Thierry was hoping Brooks might be manipulated into giving them a lending hand then she wasn't going to inform him that she seriously doubted that would ever happen. Brooks didn't seem like the kind of guy who would take orders from anybody let alone a Daybreak elder.

.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.

Brooks waited patiently for a moment as a witch inside the house checked the wards again. He took a breath as a slender thread of energy reached beyond the barriers of the mansion and brushed over him. 

Then it moved on without suspecting that outside their little sanctuary was Jude Brooks, shadowed and dark. He smiled to himself.

He paused for a moment then spread his magic out through wards like a dolphin cuts the waves and began searching for her. He recognized her immediately, even now.

Other people surrounded her. She was feeling lost and confused as her fellow Daybreakers laughed and joked around her, talking about things she had never heard of, or at least thought she had never heard of.

His heart lifted for a moment. She was safe. She was unhappy but she was safe.

He cut the link short abruptly. He didn't want to see anymore. Her presence alone was driving him crazy. They were only a dozen feet over from each other yet the distance could have stretched across an ocean.

He turned and memories of her eyes laughing at him, joking with him burned at the back of his mind. He shook his head. He didn't want to remember. Remembering hurt and it clouded his thoughts.

He lowered his head against a sudden wind that turned and twisted as if to cover him completely. Then he lifted it again and set his mind to the future.

It was a future where Jasmine Abilene was well and truly out of the future. He smiled. He really was doing the world a favor in getting rid of her. 

__

Jasmine, he called softly. _I'm coming._

.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.

"He's here."

The boy looked up from his guitar. He rolled his eyes at the blond girl who was now looking at the window with a frown of concern. "Cue the scary music," he murmured sarcastically, his eyes already returning to his guitar. "Let him come. We can handle him fine."

The girl turned from the window to stare down at his lowered head. Her eyes were murderous. "Did you just hear me Benton?" she screeched. "Jude Brooks is here. We're here. It doesn't have the makings for a happy ending."

Benton sighed irritably. He turned a tuning knob on his guitar without looking at her. She started pacing the carpet. 

"I thought he'd forget about her," she said, almost to herself. "I thought he'd get over it and just let her live. Or die for that matter."

"Is this Callysta we're talking about?" Benton asked, still not looking up. "You know the dark haired beauty that's impossible to forget? The one you used to refer to as a friend and relative before you stabbed her in the back?"

"I wouldn't get so judgmental if I were you," Jasmine reminded him through eyes reduced to mere slits. "Consider yourself lucky that I'm fronting all the blame for this and you're still sporting the innocent friend look."

"At least money bought me into this and not a freakish desire to take someone's place," Benton snapped angrily. His face was tight and his cheek twitched. "She didn't stand a chance with you standing in the wing waiting to single white female her."

Jasmine smiled a small smile that was distracted but cold. She crossed her arms and leaned against the sill of the window. She reached out slowly, carefully, to place a hand against glass that was cool to touch.

The glass reflected her hand so that it looked like another hand touched hers from outside. She stared at it, intrigued.

Then the hand moved.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen ****

Chapter Thirteen

She had time to gasp and for realization to sink in with a swift speed and darkness. Then there was the sound of breaking glass as a hand reached from the darkness to wrap itself around her neck.

Her breath became labored, in the background she could hear Benton swear and scramble to try and free her. The hand tightened on her neck and she felt her face go red, the blood inside her burned.

All she could see were the green eyes in front of her.

"I never took you for stupid, Jasmine," he said softly, dangerously with a twist of a satisfied smirk marring his lips. "If you had left Callysta alone I might have left you alone. But you didn't and I almost feel like I should thank you for it coz right now, I'm feeling pretty damn good."

A strangled sound managed to escape from her throat.

"What was that Jasmine?" The hand tightened and the eyes flashed maliciously. "I couldn't quite catch it."

The eyes that glared into him were full of murderous promises of revenge. She amused him, he admitted absently. This little scrap of a girl that he hated with all his heart and more amused him in ways he couldn't describe. The fact that she was insecure and pathetic enough to attempt to take someone else's place was surprising when he was faced with this determined, intent personality of someone who could be anything they wanted.

It was a shame she wanted to be someone else. It was a greater shame that that someone else had to be his soulmate.

"It's a shame we couldn't meet under nicer circumstances," he continued casually, to the entire world as if he were chatting about the weather. "But we never found those in the past so why start now? Are you okay?" he asked, concerned. "You're not saying much."

She struggled and tried to pull away from his hold but it was useless. He was strong, very strong and even with one hand he was too much for her. She braced her hands against the sill and tried to pull away but the hand tightened at her neck and her head screamed at her.

"Well, the cat hasn't got her tongue this time," a voice at her side commented simply.

Green eyes snapped around to stare at the figure behind her.

"Benton," he whispered softly. "I'm surprised."

"Surprise!" The guitarist smiled. "Nice to see you again. But now's not really a good time for me. Perhaps you could come again later but make sure you call first so we can make sure we're not here."

Brooks' green eyes turned dark. Then he turned to Jasmine again and before she had a chance to react at all, he had released her and was pushing her back inside roughly and with all his strength. 

She fell backwards and felt Benton's warm body on her back as they both fell to the floor. She looked up in time to see Brooks vault through the window effortlessly. Then he was standing over her with a stake in his hand.

The point of it rested on her chest.

"Marks for originality," she conceded mockingly. "But the execution could have been better."

"Execution?" Brooks repeated softly, thoughtfully. "Funny you should say that."

She swallowed sharply as the stake pressed into her. Benton tried to move underneath her but as he shifted, the stake dug into her sharply and she felt a flash of pain.

"Move and I'll kill you myself, Benton!" she screamed.

The guitarist stilled immediately. She knew without thinking that he was summing up the situation and hoping that he would at least come out alive. It went without saying that she wouldn't.

Brooks gave him an approving nod. Then he promptly leaned over in a flash of movement and knocked the boy out cold. She felt Benton still beneath her and hopes for escape began deserting her.

Brooks laughed softly to himself above her. He was crouching like a giant cat and looked as relaxed and at ease as if he were sunbathing by the pool of an exotic resort. She, on the other hand, was having trouble breathing.

"If you kill me Brooks," she swore angrily. "I'll wait for you in the spirit world and I'll kill you there. I'll do anything in my power to make you pay and what a price it'll be. I promise."

Brooks laughed, loudly this time. "I don't believe you're in the position, interesting as it currently is I admit," his eyes flashed at Benton for a moment, "For dire threats, Jasmine."

"I swear, Brooks," she whispered, unable to take her eyes off the stake. "You'll meet your end."

"Your end is definitely nigh," he returned amiably. "Now let's play a game. I ask a question and you answer it."

"I don't do the quiz show contestant thing," she snapped.

"Make an exception," he suggested and the stake dug deeper, cutting into her skin and drawing her blood out.

"For you," she managed through gritted teeth and pain, "Anything."

Brooks smiled coldly. "500 points. Good girl. Now question number one," he paused and gazed at her intently. "Why did you have to do it?"

She stared up at him. "Show me your degree in psychology and maybe we'll get somewhere," she snapped. "The last thing I need is a session from a try hard shrink before meeting my demise."

The stake slid across her skin and cut her. She felt blood seeping from the wound but forced herself not to think of it.

"Did you hate her?"

The question surprised her. It was delivered in flat tones and she almost could have laughed. "What do you mean 'did'?" she asked laughingly. "Did, do, always have, always will…" she continued, her voice rising in pitch and emotion. "She was always there. No, not there," she corrected herself, shaking her head maniacally. "Always one step ahead of there. Here. There. From where I was. She was always better. A grade above the rest. I was the rest. Always better and I tried. Goddess knows I tried. Not hard enough. Too hard. I lost. She won." She realized she was babbling, that she was going on and on about nothing but she couldn't stop herself. She suspected that she was losing too much blood. "I lost."

"It?" Brooks suggested. "I'd say you lost it a while ago and for once, a twisted childhood can't be blamed." He was unmoved. The stake was still held against her and he was pushing it down minutely and increasing the pressure.

"Yeah, she was better than you," he agreed. She saw in his eyes a furious, protective anger and rage. "She was better than you in any and every way because you're just a useless piece of shit that she could have walked all over but she didn't. She should have, but she didn't." With every word, with every sentence, the stake was burying itself into her. Slowly it pushed into her flesh and his voice began to fade, it was harder to hear and distant. Darkness pushed beneath her lids.

"She trusted you, Jasmine. You were her cousin, her best friend," he continued. She could hardly hear him. "She loved you and you tried to destroy her. Thank god some of us know what love is."

Part of her, the part that was still conscious, almost laughed at that. The darkness began to unfold and cover her in a suffocating cloak of black shadow. 

It was coming; she was almost there. It was within reach. The pain. God, the pain. It was almost finished, almost over. 

She fell into it.

For a moment she thought she knew death. The curious thing that you could only understand once you got there and could never reveal its secret because you never left it.

But she did leave it.

Something was pulling her back.

She could feel it. She was rising out of the blackness. It passed her with a heavy wind filled with silence and power. 

Then the wind was air and she was breathing it.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen ****

Chapter Fourteen

-Oh Goddess- she prayed. She was bent over, holding onto her stomach and curled tightly in a ball as pain, and it was pain, moved through her with crashing waves of anguishing hurt. 

Her eyes squeezed shut and all she could see was blackness. Shadows. Darkness.

"What's happening to her?" someone cried. She felt hands reaching out to her, shaking her with voices of increasing urgency and worry.

"Cally?" they called. The name rang inside her ears, echoing itself again and again until it reached a crescendo. 

The darkness was pulling at her, dragging her down, she gulped for air but her throat was tight and restricted. She couldn't breath. She was spiraling downwards into nothing. There was nothing at the bottom, just darkness and…death?

For a moment, she thought she was dead. She saw no light; the gentle caress of a wind touched her cheek briefly. But only briefly.

Then she was rising again. Retracing her footsteps up that tunnel, the wind was rushing against her, it was so strong and powerful but it couldn't hold her down. Whatever was bringing her back was stronger, so much stronger.

Air hit her and she breathed in greedily, gulping oxygen into her lungs with relief. Her eyes were still shut but a vision danced between her lids. 

It was a vision of a man with dark hair and compelling green eyes that were staring down at her with hate filling their bottomless depths. She knew him.

Oh god, she knew him.

.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.

"What?" The word was forced, strangled sounding. Jasmine's eyes opened slowly, cautiously and she almost didn't believe what she saw.

Brooks was looking down at her. His face was twisting into an angry scowl but his eyes…they said it all. They were filled with the deepest of loathing and malevolence. 

"What happened?" she croaked again.

Brooks spat. "You got lucky," was all he said through gritted teeth.

That brought a smile to her lips, albeit a weak one. She shook hair out from her eyes and looked up at him boldly. "Your luck ran out," she said.

Brooks looked down at her with disgust. Then he crouched down on his haunches and stared deeply into her eyes. 

"Don't think this is the end, Jasmine," he swore, anger making his words waver with intensity. "This is only the last chapter. The epilogue is still to come."

She only laughed at his words. He stared her laughter in the face boldly and contemptuously with such intense loathing in his emerald gaze that she was left speechless.

"Until next time," he promised as he went to his feet gracefully. The words were practically sealed in stone and were just as binding as a blood oath would have been. 

She inclined her head and watched his retreating back. "Next time," she agreed softly.

.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.

Brooks stalked to his car filled with anger and frustration. He yanked the door open roughly and slammed it just as hard. His face was intent as he stared out onto the road and gripped the steering wheel tightly.

Left. Right. Right. A red light. Damn.

He swore to himself. Then he shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. His breath hissed between his teeth impatiently. He felt like putting his foot down and crashing through the intersection, never mind the cars passing in front of him.

But he didn't. If he was going to send Jasmine to the black god he'd have to make sure he didn't get to him before she did.

Goddess, knew he had tried. But he couldn't kill her. It was all there, everything was perfect and he had the dark power wrapped in his fist. He'd unleashed it and he was so sure that he had killed her. 

Then suddenly he had a vision of Callysta doubled over in pain with tears streaming down his face and he knew he couldn't do it. He could only explain his soulmate's suffering by linking it to Jasmine's and if that was true, and he prayed to every god he knew that it wasn't, then he might not be able to kill Jasmine.

He pounded the wheel with his fist and blared his horn angrily into the night. Hurry up, he swore mentally. Just go bloody green already. I have to make sure she's all right. He swallowed. I have to make sure I haven't killed her.

The light turned green. "So there is a God!" His foot hit the accelerator and he sped past the cars waiting on either side of him. His speed dial arrow was rising and rising and rising. His window was wound down and as the wind whipped his hair around him in a crazy crown of messy raven locks, his eyes lighted and he knew then that he was really alive.

I'mcomingi'mcomingi'mcomingi'mcomingi'mcoming….ran through his head like an unbidden mantra.

.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.

__

Where the fuck am I?

She sat up sharply and propped herself up on her arms. Okay, she tried to list rationally; there's a bed, a wardrobe, a desk, a bedside table and a lamp. There's nothing that screams abduction and kidnapping from this room. That's gotta be a good thing.

She pulled back the covers of a daisy bedspread after wrinkling her nose in distaste and stood up. Then she looked down. "What the hell?" she muttered, staring at her jeans and T-shirt with shock. Why was she wearing a geek's wardrobe?

"Someone is going to answer to this," she swore and went to the door. It opened. "Maybe this isn't a kidnapping," she muttered. "Maybe this is all that's left of one drunken night." She looked down the hall and murmered absently, "What was I drinking?"

Suddenly footsteps resounded down the hallway towards her. She didn't know if she should shrink and hide or stand her ground. It was a guy and she mentally prayed that he wasn't the result of a one-night stand.

"Hi," he greeted her through flashing green eyes. "How are you? Feeling better? You were looking pretty bad before."

She smiled politely, trying to bluff her way out. "Yeah, well, you know how it is after a night like that. I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch your name?" she smiled sweetly.

The boy looked confused. "Uh, I'm Morgead, remember? I can't believe you can't remember after last time."

"Oh," she waved a hand airily. "I've got a shocking memory."

"Uh huh."

"What do you mean 'uh huh'?" she snapped.

He looked slightly taken aback. "What do you mean 'what do you mean 'uh huh'?" he returned.

She scowled. "Listen okay," she tried to reason. "I have no idea who you are okay? Let's just get that out in the open. So I don't know if I'm supposed to play that impressed thankful girl or not but I'm sure you were really good. I just want to know where my car keys are."

The guy called Morgead looked even more confused. "You came here with a car?"

Callysta was getting really tired of the dumb boy routine. "Well, yeah," she said slowly. "How else did I get here?"

The boy shrugged. "I dunno. I thought Thierry brought you."

Thierry. Thierry Descourdes? "What?" she whispered to herself.. She couldn't be here. This could simply not be the Daylight mansion. She pushed past the boy roughly, leaving him standing in the hall, staring at her in bewilderment.

She pushed a door open. It was another bedroom identical to hers. She went back to the hall and continued down it, stalking angrily and thrusting doors open on her way.

Then she stopped. Voices were coming from the end of the hall. She stalked towards the door determinedly, firmly believing that she must be mistaken, that it couldn't be true that she could be so dumb as to end up in Daylight headquarters. It was half way across the fucking country for God's sake!

She shoved the door open and stepped inside.

"Ohmigod," she whispered, not believing her eyes. Their faces were everywhere, she was ticking them off mentally in her head. Jez Redfern, John Quinn, Delos Redfern, Ash, Thea and…oh god it was…Blaise Harman.

They were all staring back at her and then Thea was walking towards her with a relieved smile. "You're up. You look so much better, we thought you were in trouble back there," she said.

Were? she thought. I don't think I'm out of trouble yet.

"How are you feeling?"

"What? Oh yeah, um, good thanks." Thea's face was smiling into hers, forcing an answer from her. "But I have to go now."

"Pardon?" Thea asked disbelievingly. Her eyes were wide with shock and surprise. 

"I have to go," she repeated, her tone firmer. "I _really_ have to go." She nodded to herself. "I'll see you later okay?"

She backed away from the door slowly and the faces in the room, the faces of her former friends and enemies in Blaise's case, got smaller.

"What is she doing?" someone asked incredulously. "She can't just go!"

Then she heard the sound of people on their feet, moving towards her. _Shit. _Blaise Harman herself was the first to step out of the room and she faced her, standing lithely in the hall and staring into her eyes.

Recognition dawned in the witch's eyes and a small, triumphant smile lit her face. Behind her, the others crowded to look down the hall at Callysta as she faked a smile and wave. Blaise stepped forward.

"She's remembering," she whispered softly. "She knows who she is." Then she laughed. "And so do I." She tilted her head to the side and her eyes became slits. "It's been a while Abilene," she smirked. "How've you been?"

Callysta threw a glare of intense loathing at the witch before spinning on her heel. She was running towards the door, it was just there, she was so close. Then she was pulling it open and the open air hit her face as her feet his the path leading to the road.

Behind her, they were also running. She could hear their feet against the thick carpet, getting louder and closer with every step. She looked over her shoulder and moved into a sprint.

"Whoa!"

Strong, firm arms wrapped around her middle. Hands held her back. She looked up to yell something at this person that had decided to accost her but the words died on her lips.

Green eyes widened in surprise, then shock and lastly joy. 

"Callysta?"

She swallowed as she looked into his eyes. God, it was so good to see him again. For a moment her lips began to curve into a smile and then suddenly they stopped. 

Yes, she remembered him. How could she forget? How could she forget what he had done to her parents?

All Brooks knew was that one moment he was holding her in his arms, where she belonged, and he was feeling warmth and love and relief all in a tumult of emotions and then the next, she was pulling away from him. The cold wind rushed into the space she created between them as she moved away from him roughly. 

Her eyes turned dark and furious and her face was void of emotion. She pulled one last time and she was free. 

Then she simply vanished into the night.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen ****

Chapter Fifteen

Callysta ran off into the night with a feeling of fear, urgency and wretched yearning. In short, she was an emotional wreck.

The places where Brooks had held her was still warm and tingling and the memory of his wide eyes staring down at her were still fresh in her mind. Even the sound of his husky voice whispering her name was imprinted in her thoughts.

One simple word and it had brought a fresh, more disturbing rush of memories to mind. That one name said it all really. He had taken that single eight letter word away from her and tried to turn her into something or someone she wasn't.

Just to keep her quiet. Just to make sure she didn't send Night World hounds after him for killing her parents. And she could do that. With the snap of her fingers plenty of people would step up to the plate to avenge and honor the Abilene name again.

Callysta came to a still and looked around her for the first time. Where the hell was she? She turned in a full circle, her eyes staring into the night blankly.

She needed a phone that's what she needed. She could call Jasmine or Phlox and get them to send an air ticket for her so she could get home.

Stepping forwards again, she searched for a phone booth somewhere so she could call collect. She didn't find one.

"What is with this place?" she muttered. "There has to be a phone somewhere."

She was trying so hard to push that haunting image of Brooks from her mind that she almost missed that black dahlia on the door of an old warehouse building. The image was so familiar she had almost passed it before registering it.

//thank god// she whispered in relief.

She stepped up and opened the door. The wolf who opened it stared at her, assessing her loosely and eyeing her clothes with a slight expression of surprise before admitting her.

"Nice outfit lady," he smirked.

Callysta moved towards him and hit him over the head. Hard. "When you're the head designer for Versace," she snapped coldly. "_Then _I'll let you get away with that."

The wolf whimpered and backed away into the shadows again. Callysta allowed herself a faint grin before turning to the open door ahead of her. Lights swirled inside the room and the faint pulse of music echoed off its walls.

She stepped inside, taking in everyone inside that club. She had missed this. It had been so long since she'd seen the Night World, the real Night World, which was the vampire and the wolves and the witches and shifters that made it.

"Hang on!" 

Someone grabbed her elbow, spinning her round. An angular face and dazed yellow eyes stared into her own face. "Are you…?"

Callysta coughed patiently, almost smiling. They still knew her, they still recognized her even now. "You didn't finish the sentence," she prompted.

The vampire shook his head in disbelief. "You're not Callysta _Abilene _are you?" he asked. "You know, from Dahlia? The band?"

"I think I know my own band," she rolled her eyes, shaking his grip off. "Now can you get me a drink?"

The vampire eyes went wide. "Are you serious? I'll buy you the whole fucking bar if that's what you want!"

She laughed, tilting her head to the side and sending her raven waves down her shoulder. "I might hold you up to that."

"Stay right there okay?" the vampire said, looking excited. "Right there. I'll be back in just a minute." He moved towards the bar with hurried haste, casting looks over his shoulder to make sure she hadn't moved. On the way, he passed a group of people and stopped to talk to them in hushed tones, pointing back at her and gesturing wildly.

Callysta laughed softly to herself and waited until he came back dutifully bearing a drink. She took it with a smile. "Do you have a phone I could use by chance?" she asked silkily through veiled eyes.

The guy was smitten. "Yeah sure. Anything. Here, take it. You can have it if you want."

"That won't be neccesary." She took the phone and punched in a number. With raised eyebrows she regarded the other vamp, "Do you mind?"

"Oh god, sorry. Just wave to me when you ready okay? Be as long as you like." He smiled in what he obviously hoped was a charming manner and moved away.

She refrained from rolling her eyes barely. 

"Hello?" the voice sounded groggy and tired.

"Jasmine?" Callysta asked excitedly. "Is that you?"

The were was a long pause then "Lyss?"

"Yeah, it's me! Listen where are you? I need some help."

.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.

After twenty minutes and eight cocktails, Callysta was still at the club and was having the time of her life. She was the centre of attention, the star. They'd got her up to sing a few sets and now she was on the dance floor, getting down and heavy with every gorgeous male in the room. 

Jasmine had promised to be there in half an hour to pick her up and get her home so she had time to kill.

She was dancing with some guy called Sade or something and he was getting pretty close. A little too close even. She backed away slowly, pretending to need dance room and twirled in a circle, raising her arms above her head and closing her eyes.

When she opened them again, Sade had closed the gap between them and was seriously breathing down her neck. "I'm a not human kid," she mocked, pushing him away. "So don't start getting intimate with my neck or any other part of my anatomy for that matter."

Sade wriggled his eyebrows suggestively and moved closer still so that their faces were only centimetres apart. "Hard to get?" he asked.

"More like 'hard to _for_get'," a voice said coldly behind them.

She knew who it was before she turned. 

But instead of looking into Brooks face, she was staring at his back as he had already moved forward with lightning speed that she couldn't follow and was proceeding to beat the guy to a walking pulp.

One, two, three hits and the guy was down. 

Brooks raised his proud head and stared hard into the crowd of people watching, mentally daring any of them to step forward. After several terse moments, the music that had come to a stop, started again and the Night Worlders turned away again.

Then he turned to stare at her in that intense, deep way of his. His eyes boring into her soul and delving deep into its depth.

She was trapped in his gaze as the music rose softly to whisper around them in breathless melody. He stepped towards her, careful not to touch her or scare her off, treating her as if she were fragile and priceless.

"Lyss," he whispered brokenly. "Please."

It was all he said. She could only stare back at him as the lead singer stepped up to the mike.

__

They painted up your secrets With the lies they told to you And the least they ever gave you Was the most you ever knew.

She told herself to back away but her feet weren't going anywhere. Her voice wouldn't obey her for the first time in her life. No words came out, not even a single note.

"Look at me, Lyss," he begged softly. "You know I couldn't have done that to you, to your parents. You know how much I love you." He put as much emotion as he could into those last three words and the effort in opening up to her was almost breaking him.

A light flashed inside the depths of her eyes. 'Your parents.' He saw her switch off, her mind turning black as the memory of her parents in their death revisited her again.

She turned to him with vacant eyes. "I have to go, Brooks," she said flatly. "Jasmine's here. I'm going home. I don't need you and I don't want you. Just leave me alone. In the short time that you've known me, you've brought the most pain to my life than I thought I could know."

Brooks stared at her. "Lyss," he entreated. "Come on. You know this can't be true."

She was already turning away. She didn't turn back to him at his words, she only moved further away. She was heading for the door.

Brooks turned in time to see Jasmine Abilene standing by the entrance, waiting for her cousin with a smile on her face. She looked up at him and stared right through the crowd to where he was standing.

The smile on her lips sent a shiver down him and suddenly he felt cold. She placed an arm around Callysta and whispered something in her ear.

__

They press their lips against you And you love the lies they say And I tried so hard to reach you But you're falling anyway.

****

//authors note// the lyrics are from a song by the Goo Goo Dolls (don't ask me which song because I can't remember!) so yeah, just thought I should clear that one up. thanx truckloads to everyone that's reviewed and please don't stop now! the next chaps (hopefully the final ones) will be up soon because I know what you're thinking…this is draggggginnnnnnnngggg onnnnnnnnnnnn a bit and yeah, I kinda agree so I'll try to draw it to a close a.s.a.p. 


	17. Chapter Sixteen

//AUTHORS NOTE// thank you to EVERYONE that reviewed!! espeicially (hmm that's not spelt right) Night Goddess ( I really did like your story!) , Magelet, Sarah, Jessica ( I totally agree about what you said about Brooks turning sappy on love, it's true. I admit it. I'll have to do something to change it.), Angelic Angel, Water Angel (espeicially you because you're always reviewing and I really appreciate it), Werepanther, Meg, Beccs and Dark Angel and to EVERY BODY ELSE WHO REVIEWED-SORRY THEY"RE ONLY SHOWING THE LAST FIFTEEN SO I CAN"T REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE BUT THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

****

Chapter Sixteen

"She's a tough wee thing ain't she?"

The voice spoke from over Brooks shoulder and was slightly breathless and filled with awe and admiration. Brooks flicked a glance back at the vampire that had spoken who also happened to be the vampire he'd knocked out only moments ago.

Under normal circumstances, he would have knocked him out again just for daring to speak to him but for some reason he couldn't be bothered. And besides, he was right about Callysta.

"I'd let it her go, mate," the guy continued. "She's gorgeous alright, but she's not _that _gorgeous."

Brooks remained silent. Then he turned and stared at the vampire who was continuing to make his presence annoyingly known. "You're right," he agreed. "I should let her go," he shrugged and a frightening light came into his eyes. "But she _is _that gorgeous."

With that, he tossed the offending vampire a careless grin and turned to push his way through the crowd. 

Once outside, the air was sharp and crisp and fresh. Fresh. That's what he needed. A fresh start. Maybe he could head over to New York or go overseas somewhere like London or Milan. Somewhere he was appreciated for once.

If there was a place where girls could actually talk to guys that had saved their lives and were trying to protect them from people that could do them harm then he would go there because obviously where he was right now was not catering for that need.

He stalked to his car angrily and yanked the door open.

He drove for ages and ages until he was well and truly lost. Finally, almost laughing at his own stupidity, he got out of the car and pulled up beside some girl that was waiting for a cab.

"Hey," he smiled charmingly, advancing towards her. "Do you know where I am?"

The girl gave him an appraising look then turned fluttering eyes to his face. She managed to look coy and seductive within half a second. "Are you lost?" she purred.

Brooks paused, considering her hungrily. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Sorry I'm late," Calysta apologized hurriedly as she rushed inside. She threw her coat on the couch moments after shrugging out of it. Her eyes sharpened suddenly and her shoulders tensed automatically.

"Jasmine," she said softly, casually. "I see you've yet again taken over my duties in my absence. Well," she paused dramatically. "One of my many absences it would seem."

"It was just a warm up really," Jasmine explained with a toss of her head. Her teeth flashed in a friendly smile. "I just thought I'd take over for a bit."

"How _nice._" Callysta smiled falsely, her voice was filled with dripping sarcasm that wasn't lost on her friend. "Well, anyway, now that _I'm _here we can start," she stepped up onto the stage, "Properly." 

She smiled at Jasmine, this time up close and personal so that the blond girl could see the cold seriousness of her eyes, clouded with suspicion. "You can go now," Callysta prompted. She nodded at the door as she reached out to hold the microphone to adjust it to her level. 

Jasmine's eyes were dark as her lips_ c_urved and sheshrugged. "Okay, I'llleave you guys to it." She glanced at Benton before turning sharply and heading for the door.

"And Jasmine?"

Jasmine stilled and turned slowly.

Callysta was gazing at her through narrowed eyes. "What?" she asked carefully.

"Don't touch my microphone again."

Jasmine's mouth hit a straight hard line, her eyes turned to slits and her whole body visibly tensed. She looked at Benton who was pretending to tune his guitar with the utmost concentration and then at her brother who only shrugged at her. She scowled, bit down on her lip and stalked out.

Callysta stared after Jasmine's figure with a scowl as Phlox began playing from behind her. "Okay, let's get started," she ordered finally.

Benton, watching the exchange quietly from his corner, noted both the girls expressions and the undercurrent of tension that ran between them. He shook his head and swore under his breath as he recognized his cue and started playing.

She was doing it again, he realized. Jasmine was at it still, after all this, you would have thought she might have learnt something.

He looked over at Callysta. She was standing confidently, moving loosely to the music and singing in her clear, powerful voice.

She was the perfect frontman. Or woman. 

He didn't know why he had ever listened to Jasmine. Well, he supposed it wasn't Jasmine he had been listening to. He'd been listening to the money.

But right now, money didn't come into it. He had to get Jasmine to snap out of this little drama of hers and just let Callysta do what she did best. What she did better than anyone else.

And that was to sing, and to lead a band that was going to be great. And of course, they all knew that without her in the spotlight, they would never be great.

~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~

"Who is it?"

Benton swallowed nervously. Maybe this wasn't such a crash hot idea, he thought to himself. Maybe I should just leave it.

He turned around to walk away when the door opened.

There was a silence as he turned back slowly to see Brooks' lounging against the door frame lazily. His green emerald eyes were shrewd and assessing as he looked at Benton.

"Well," he drawled slowly. "This is a surprise."

Benton looked at the ground for a moment and gathered his strength. Then he straightened his shoulders and looked up at Brooks'.

"I need to talk to you."

Brooks' shrugged. "Depends what the topic is of conversation."

"It's about Callysta," Benton began carefully, watching Brooks' face for a change of expression. He didn't get one. At the sound of his soulmate's name, Brooks' hadn't even raised an eyebrow. 

"And Jasmine," the guitarist added as an after thought.

"How intriguing. However," Brooks' continued after some consideration. "As much as it amuses me to see you back here on your hands and knees -"

"I'm not on my hands and knees," Benton interrupted sharply.

Brooks' laugh was cold and malicious. "You might as well be, my boy. You've got that pleading and begging look to you." He paused and tilted his head to the side. "Why do you want my help? I'm the guy that knocked you out remember? Or did I do too good a job and leave with a minor case of amnesia?"

"I remember." Benton's jaw was tense and his eyes went dark at the memory.

"Well then," Brooks grinned coldly, folding his arms across his chest. "You must be in need of a helping hand to come crawling here."

"I didn't crawl either," Benton said tersely. "I came to ask you for help."

Brooks' laugh was loud and raucous then. "Help? I'm meant to help you?"

"You're meant to help Callysta."

Brooks' sobered instantly and his gaze became remote. "Callysta doesn't need my help and if she did, she'd have to come to ask me personally. Even if she did, I doubt I'd give her half a second of _cons_ideration.

"Be_nto_n sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Listen, can I come in?"

Brooks was silent for a moment then he shrugged carelessly and turned around into the house. "Hell, why not."

Benton followed the vampire's turned back into the apartment and looked around at the expensive paintings that lined the walls. Sculptures stood on stands at various intervals and the carpets were thick and plush. The guy had definite taste.

"Is that a Monet?" Benton asked disbelievingly.

Brooks glanced back at the painting in question. "It's amazing what you can purchase on the black market these days," he said blithely. "What's your poison?" He asked as he poured himself a drink of scotch. 

"I'm fine, thanks," Benton replied absently while still looking at his surroundings.

"Take photos if you want," Brooks' offered sarcastically. "They'll last longer."

"What? Oh yeah, funny." Benton ran his hands down his thighs and took a seat on one of the couches. "Anyway, about Jasmine and Callysta," he began apprehensively.

"What about them, Benton?" Brooks asked politely, patiently.

"She's at it again," the guitarist stated simply, ignoring Brooks' mockingly cheerful inquiry. "Jasmine was fine after Lyss got back for a while but now she's starting it up again. Rehearsal times, Callysta's car, locations, she's managed to sabotage all of them and Callysta's catching on."

"Well, I knew she had to have some sort of intelligence somewhere," Brooks commented wryly, sipping his drink.

"Well, Jasmine's getting seriously pissed off. I think she's gonna make a hit on Lyss soon." After voicing his main fear, Benton stopped and waited for a Brooks' to reply.

"Why don't you tell Callysta all this instead of me?" Brooks asked flatly. "I fail to see how I come into this soap opera. I only had a walk in part remember."

"I don't think Callysta would believe me and if Jasmine found out she knew she'd be dead before she could do anything." Benton paused and looked at Brooks' lounging figure pleadingly. "I'm asking you to get rid of Jasmine."

Brooks tilted his head at an angle. "Hmm, an interesting theory. But I'm not buying sorry. What's in it for me?"

"Callysta."

Brooks laughed. "Is that supposed to entice me? Callysta and I are no longer. And besides, I've played the gallant knight only to lose the princess anyway. That's aside from the fact that this gallant knight started acting like a fucking wimp because of her. I don't mind telling you that when I looked in the mirror a while ago, I thought I saw Bambi looking back at me. Luckily now I'm back to the old me thank god. 

'So in the voice of the old me I'll say this. You're wasting my time. _This_ is a waste of my time."

"Hey, I thought you'd at least care," Benton sounded angry, accusing and disbelieving.

"Funny that," Brooks considered thoughtfully. "I thought I would too."

Benton got to his feet. "I'm gonna get out of here," he snapped. 

Brooks chuckled softly to himself as he stood up. "Hey, no need to get so tight about it," he reproached. "It was worth a shot."

"You should be shot."

Brooks' eyes turned glacial and the glass in his hand dropped to the ground as he reached out to catch hold of Benton's neck. 

His grip was tight and lethal and he squeezed tightly for emphasis as he growled, "Watch it pick boy. I had the chance to kill you before and now I'm faced with it again. Luckily for you, I don't want your rotting guts staining my carpet."

He tightened his grip again then loosed Benton, who gasped for breath and began walking backwards. His back touched the door and he opened it after grasping blindly for the handle.

Brooks smiled at him. "Au revoir," he farewelled in a perfect french accent. He walked back into the apartment and left Benton to let himself out.

~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~

To buy or not to buy? Callysta considered as she admired a silk top in a shop window. She looked down at her already bulging shopping bags and sighed. Perhaps not today, she decided.

She had been shopping for only an hour but had already managed to get a full days worth in. She had rehearsal in an hour, if that was the right time. She frowned to herself.

Perhaps she should ring Phlox to double check since she'd already been messed around about times and places for the last fortnight.

She had just dumped her bags in the boot of her car and was reaching for her mobile phone when she felt something. A presence that made the hairs on the back of her neck stick up.

She looked up slowly to meet the crystal, emerald eyes of Brooks'. Her soulmate, her love and her enemy.

He was walking on the other side of the street. A gorgeous girl was walking at his side, looking around with a bored expression. Her lips moved as she said something to Brooks but he wasn't listening.

His eyes were staring into Callysta's and for a moment, it was like it had been. Then he turned away abruptly and looked down at the girl with a cool grin. He said something and the girl smiled.

Callysta was left with a feeling of abandonement and she looked after them, waiting to see if he would turn back to look at her but he didn't.

She swallowed, ignoring the feelings of hurt that warred inside her and ran a hand through her long, raven hair.

She slammed the boot shut loudly.

At the sound, several of the shoppers on the street looked at her in surprise and to her own surprise, Brooks looked over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. Her breath caught and then he turned away again and she was left staring at his back.

"Bastard," she swore, reminding herself mentally of why she should hate him. She opened her door and hopped in the car and took off with smoke, a squeal of tires and the gentle scatter of gravel.

"Bastard!"

~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~

__

I know it's been a while guys, and I don't really know many of the people that are appearing on this sight at the mo so I'll have to start reading everyone's stuff again. This is gonna be finished soon, fingers crossed, so just bear with me!! and PLEASE pretty PLEASE r/r!!


	18. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

****

Chapter Seventeen

__

Six months later…

Callysta sat up in her bed, struggling to lift her legs from beneath the tangled sheets. Her eyes were blurry, her hair she suspected resembled a bird's nest and her breath tasted of stale alcohol.

Last night had been a hard night. 

She yawned and managed to get upright with only a minimal amount of swearing. As her feet touched the carpet, she glanced at her alarm clock. 11:34am. 

God, she'd slept in late.

She pushed away the feeling of guilt with the justification that she deserved a sleep in. Last night the band had celebrated in style. 

They'd completed their second album and released the first single from it. The song had hit the number one spot in both the UK and American charts with phenomenal speed. Phlox had been elated; Benton quietly pleased while Callysta had been shocked and surprised.

Jasmine of course would have been spitting tacks if she had known.

Callysta didn't bother to think of her cousin, as she wasn't worth it. Instead she made her way to the bathroom and showered and dressed.

As she left the apartment building and opened the door to her car, the curtain of Mrs. Prowers apartment on the first floor twitched as the old woman attempted to peer out at Callysta.

She was caught out by the vampire who had sensed her presence the moment a finger had been laid on the curtain to pull it back.

Mrs. Prowers watched Callysta, grudgingly wishing she still had a figure like that. Callysta, even in her hungover state, still looked effortlessly gorgeous.

Her hair was left loose to trail down her back, she wore pale fitting jeans and a simple sleeveless top that hugged her lithe figure. Bracelets dangled from her slender wrists and her luminescent eyes were shielded by her designer sun glasses.

Her lips curved in a grin and she waved at Mrs. Prowers before driving away.

She had an appointment with her lawyer to get to.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"What do you mean I'm being sued?!"

"Miss Abilene, please. Keep your voice at conversation level."

Callysta went to her feet and leaned over the desk between them. She jabbed a finger in Emerson Grey's direction. "I don't pay you to give me etiquette lessons, Grey!" She snapped. "Now repeat again what you just said five seconds ago. Word for word."

Emerson Grey sighed and tried to ignore the waves of negative energy Miss Abilene was broadcasting. He shuffled his pages and patiently obliged his client.

"In short, Miss Abilene, you're being sued for the lyrical contents of your song, 'Winding Brook'. It is believed they are slanderous and -"

"_Slanderous?_" Callysta cried incredulously. "I can't believe this! That bastard should be flattered if anything!" She threw her hands in the hair and dropped down on her seat. "I suppose he wants royalties? Reimbursement? Well, you can tell him that -"

"I actually communicate through his lawyer, Miss Abilene," Grey corrected.

Callysta's eyes narrowed fractionally and Grey swallowed.

"You can tell him," she continued as if he hadn't said anything. "That he can get _fucked_."

Grey cleared his throat hesitantly and loosened his tie. "I'm afraid I won't be able to quote you on that."

"I don't care how you quote me, Grey. Just get the point across and make it blatantly clear that my song has nothing to do with him. Make it even clearer that I will counter sue him for everything he's got."

"Do you have grounds to counter sue him?" 

Callysta's mouth twisted in a cruel smile. "Since when have we needed grounds to sue anyone, Grey?" she inquired silkily. "I'm sure you'll find something."

"Miss Abilene-" her lawyer began to protest.

He was cut off abruptly by a quirk of an eyebrow. "You'll find something I'm sure Grey," Callysta smiled. "And once you have I want him sued under human law. As for Night World law," she suggested with another deadly calm smile. "I want you to threaten to inform the Council of his past betrayal."

Grey was clearly dumbfounded and it took him several moments to find his breath and then his words. "What past betrayal are you hinting at, Miss Abilene?" he asked carefully, scrutinizing the intriguing girl standing before him.

"Oh, I'm not _hinting, _Grey," Callysta replied. "Just make sure that the threat appears genuine because it is. If Jude Brooks doesn't drop this pathetic suit against me, tell him the council will be immediately informed of his brief alliance with Circle Daybreak."

Grey swallowed and managed to nod.

Callysta smiled, satisfied that this was one battle she couldn't lose. "I take it there's no other business to attend to?" she asked politely.

Grey shook his head and could only watch, speechless, as she gave him a gracious nod and left the room. 

He took the time to marvel that indeed, Callysta Abilene was her parent's daughter. Perhaps, he mused, she might even one day take their former seats on the council. After witnessing her cool response to the news, he would not be surprised.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It wasn't until two days after this meeting that Callysta received a response from Brooks.

It was not however, the response that she expected.

For one thing, it came in bodily form.

She was walking towards her car. She had just left Phlox and Benton at the Black Iris, deciding to forgo a long night for the warmth of her own home.

She was just opened the car door when an arm snaked around her neck and sharply pulled it back, exposing her throat. Another arm shifted to hold her arms in a tight grip behind her back. 

As her breath gasped from her mouth, a velvet voice whispered in her ear.

"Hello stranger."

"_You!_" she exclaimed furiously. "Let go of me!"

Much to her surprise, the arms loosened immediately and she was released. She spun around to face her attacker, her eyes sparking fiercely and her lips curled in a sneer.

Unfortunately, the arms that had been around her neck seconds before were now folded across the lean, muscular chest of Jude Brooks.

His familiar, emerald green eyes were closed and impassive. His head was tilted slightly to the side as his gaze slowly traveled the length of her body.

She ignored the feeling of his eyes on her and the tightening in her stomach at the sight of him.

It wasn't fair that he still looked good. Somewhere inside of her, she had secretly hoped he was wallowing in misery without her. The hope had been crushed six months ago when she had seen him with another woman and it wasn't until now that she realized it still existed.

Once his eyes touched on her face again, he allowed her a minute smile.

"So, Miss Abilene, how are you?"

Callysta glared at him. "I thought we only communicated through our lawyers."

Brooks inclined his head. "I felt the need to track you down myself," he replied with a shrug.

"You do know there's a law against stalking don't you?" she snapped. She didn't realize those were the same words she had spoken to him that day they had found they were soulmates until it was too late.

The slip hadn't surpassed Brooks' attention either. "No, you're mistaken," he corrected quietly, quoting the same response he had said to her the first time she had said that to him, almost a year ago now. "That would be a human law you're talking about. In article 359 of Night World law it states that 'stalking' or the act of watching and following your chosen victim is condoned unless the victim is given sanctuary by the council."

His eyes were still emotionless as he said it yet Callysta felt oddly touched that he could remember that day so well that he could quote what he said then, word for word.

"If you don't drop your pathetic lawsuit against me you'll die under Night World law," Callysta returned, not letting her emotions falter her voice. 

Brooks rolled his eyes and almost, but not quite, grinned. "It's dropped."

"What?"

"I _SAID-"_

"I heard you!" she yelled over him. Her voice dropped to a normal level. "But it's too easy. Why did you drop it?"

"Shouldn't the question be 'why did I file it'?" Brooks countered.

Callysta glared at him. "Clearly you filed it because you're out to get me."

Her glare intensified as he broke out into laughter and she knew that he was definitely not laughing _with _her.

"Callysta come on! I don't do the whole 'vengeful boyfriend' act. Firstly, I'm not the type and secondly, I really wouldn't have the time."

She somehow managed to keep her cool to inquire in carefully polite tones. "Then why exactly did you file the suit against me?"

Brooks paused to think for a moment. Then he shrugged carelessly. "I think it was boredom truthfully," he admitted with an infuriating grin. "And I also know it would piss the hell out of you. And I had to make sure that you knew that I knew that you wrote that song about _me._"

She scowled. "I did _not _write that song about you!" she denied vehemently.

Brooks rolled his eyes. "Come off it, Lyss," he snapped, sounding impatient. "Of course you did."

She hesitated for just a fraction but that was all it took. 

Abruptly he reached out and pulled her towards him, crushing her body against his chest and looking down at her through those clear, dancing eyes.

She took a moment to catch her breath as she remembered those eyes and recognized the familiar look in them.

"I'm not giving into you, Brooks," she managed, trying weakly to pull away from him.

His fathomless eyes cleared and she saw that look she had missed in them. His arm tightened around her waist.

"Don't be an idiot, Lyss," he said. "You're not giving into me. You're just not fighting me anymore. This way is best for both of us."

"What way?" she replied even though she knew she didn't have to ask. Her voice was breathless, her eyes were glued to his face, drinking it in thirstily.

"What way do you want it to be?" he returned with a grin.

She looked into his eyes and felt lost and weak. It was then that she knew. 

"This way," she said softly, and wound an arm around his neck. She pulled his head towards her and brought their bodies closer together, sending off a shower of blue sparks.

Their lips were inches apart when Brooks stopped. "Are you sure?" he asked softly.

She closed her eyes. "Oh, I'm sure," she managed before their lips touched.


	19. chapter eighteen

****

Chapter eighteen

"Brooks? BROOKS!"

Jude Brooks halted mid-step. He looked over his shoulder to see Benton running towards him, loping along on his long legs and dodging pedestrians with a low success rate.

"Why didn't you stop?" The guitarist gasped between ragged breaths, leaning his hands on his knees.

"Because that would have made it easier for you," Brooks replied coolly. "And you know I don't do you any favors."

Benton stood up properly and allowed Brooks the full force of his grin.

"Ah, but you _did _do me a favor," he contradicted with a satisfied smile.

Brooks' eyes narrowed. "What exactly are you talking about?" he inquired.

"You and Callysta are back together I hear," Benton said conversationally, avoiding the sharp question totally. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Brooks accepted suspiciously.

"She's been doing great now that you're back in the scene. Even better than she was after Jasmine died." Benton sounded casual but the slight tenseness of Brooks's' shoulders', however imperceptible, was enough to give him his answer.

"Jasmine died?" Brooks asked, looking surprised.

Benton laughed and actually dared to reach out and slap Brooks on the shoulder. "Don't worry, no one else knows and I don't plan on saying anything. I figured it would have been you, though it came as a bit of a surprise after your response when I went to see you. Thanks for doing it for me man."

"Firstly, I don't know what your talking about," Brooks reminded him coolly, ignoring the conspiratorially wink he received from the other guy. "And secondly, I would never do anything for you."

Benton looked slightly taken aback but he recovered quickly. "Oh yeah, man, I know. You did it for Callysta. Sure, I can dig that."

"You'll be digging your grave if you don't shut your mouth," Brooks warned harshly, his emerald eyes blazing with intensity. 

Benton stepped back before he could resist the urge. He almost turned to go before a thought struck him.

"Are you saying you still loved her? Back then when I spoke to you about Jasmine and you said it was Callysta's problem? You still loved her even then?"

Brooks gave him a contemptuous and withering glare.

"She's my soulmate, Benton," he snapped scathingly. "You figure it out."

****

THE END

__

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED. ESPEICIALLY TO MARE AND ATHENA WHO REMINDED ME AND ACTUALLY GOT ME MOTIVATED TO FINISH THIS. I HOPE YOU WERE ALL SATISFIED WITH THE ENDING, PLEASE COMMENT ON IT AND THE STORY AS I WHOLE. IT'S A RELIEF TO GET IT FINALLY FINISHED!! THANKS ONCE AGAIN TO EVERYONE, YOUR ALL SIMPLY FANTABULOUSLY BRILLYANT


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